Sydney Roosters 13–12 Cronulla-Sutherland — Elimination Final, 2023 NRL Finals Series
9 Sep 2023 · PointsBet Stadium, Cronulla, NSW · Attendance: 12,570
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
Elimination Final, 2023 NRL finals series: Sydney Roosters 13–12 Cronulla-Sutherland, at PointsBet Stadium, Cronulla, NSW on 9 Sep 2023.
Sourcing caveat: This result was independently re-verified after conflicting first-pass research suggested a "Sharks 20-5" score, which does not appear in any reliable source; NRL.com's own report and a follow-up feature confirm Sydney Roosters won 13-12 via Sam Walker's field goal. Exact try minutes for Manu, Katoa and Mulitalo, and the exact minute of Walker's field goal, were not identified in sources found.
Scoring timeline
| 68′ | Sydney Roosters — try, Wong |
Tries with a sourced minute, in order scored, with the conversion kicked/missed alongside each one where source data lets us match a kicker to that specific try. Tries whose exact minute isn't recorded in available sources appear in the Scorers table below but not here; goal tallies we can't attribute to one specific try are shown as descriptive text in Scorers rather than guessed into this timeline.
Scorers
| Sydney Roosters | Tries: Manu; Wong 68' Goals: Walker (1/1 conversions); Smith (1/1 conversions); Walker — field goal (late) |
| Cronulla-Sutherland | Tries: Katoa; Mulitalo Goals: Trindall (0/1 conversions); Hynes (1/1 conversions); Hynes — penalty goal (first half) |
Team sheets
| Sydney Roosters | Cronulla-Sutherland | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Tedesco | Fullback | Connor Tracey | 1 |
| 2 | Junior Pauga | Wing | Sione Katoa | 2 |
| 3 | Billy Smith | Centre | Jesse Ramien | 3 |
| 4 | Joseph Manu | Centre | Siosifa Talakai | 4 |
| 5 | Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i | Wing | Ronaldo Mulitalo | 5 |
| 6 | Luke Keary | Five-eighth | Braydon Trindall | 6 |
| 7 | Sam Walker | Halfback | Nicho Hynes | 7 |
| 8 | Lindsay Collins | Prop | Toby Rudolf | 8 |
| 9 | Brandon Smith | Hooker | Blayke Brailey | 9 |
| 10 | Egan Butcher | Prop | Royce Hunt | 10 |
| 11 | Siua Wong | Second Row | Briton Nikora | 11 |
| 12 | Nat Butcher | Second Row | Wade Graham | 12 |
| 13 | Victor Radley | Lock | Cameron McInnes | 13 |
| Substitutes | ||||
| 14 | Fletcher Baker | Jack Williams | 14 | |
| 15 | Sandon Smith | Thomas Hazelton | 15 | |
| 16 | Terrell May | Oregon Kaufusi | 16 | |
| 17 | Angus Crichton | Jesse Colquhoun | 17 | |
| Trent Robinson | Coach | Craig Fitzgibbon | ||
Match officials
| Referee | Gerard Sutton |
Match report
In a chaotic, injury-ravaged elimination final at PointsBet Stadium on 9 September 2023, the Sydney Roosters overcame the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 13-12 to survive the first week of the finals. Cronulla led 6-0 at halftime through an unconverted Sione Katoa try and a Nicho Hynes penalty goal. The Roosters hit back after the break through Joseph Manu to level the scores, before Cronulla regained control: a 52nd-minute professional foul sent Roosters captain James Tedesco to the sin bin, and during his absence Ronaldo Mulitalo scored and Hynes added a penalty for a 12-6 buffer. But Siua Wong crossed in the 68th minute, and makeshift kicker Billy Smith — deputising for the ankle-injured Sam Walker — converted to tie it at 12-12. Minutes later, Walker, playing through visible ankle discomfort, slotted a field goal to put the Tricolours ahead 13-12. Two late charge-downs denied Cronulla a shot at forcing golden point, sealing the win and eliminating the Sharks.