The Sydney Roosters have held off a fast-finishing Newcastle to win 19-18 in a pulsating NRL grand final at Stadium Australia.
The Roosters seemed to have the premiership wrapped up late in the match, until Greg Marzhew scored a 76th-minute try down the Knights' left edge.
Sandon Smith converted from wide out, sending Knights' fans into a frenzy.
But the Roosters held on in the dying stages, with captain James Tedesco pulling off two kick receptions in a Clive Churchill Medal-winning performance to deny the Knights their first men's premiership in 25 years.
The win completed a premiership double for the Roosters, with the club earlier winning their third NRLW title following a 30-6 thrashing of the Brisbane Broncos.
Daly Cherry-Evans was sent out a winner in his final NRL appearance, giving the 37-year-old a second premiership ring to go with the one he claimed with Manly in 2011.
Roosters coach Trent Robinson also added another premiership to his tally, the fourth of his decorated career at the Tricolours.
It was clear from the opening whistle Newcastle was going to enjoy the larger share of the crowd's support, with most neutral fans among the 80,814 spectators jumping on board the Knights' bandwagon.
They had reason to cheer when the Knights scored first in the 15th minute after Francis Manuleleua ran a brilliant angle off a Fletcher Sharpe short ball to cross for the opening try.
Smith landed the conversion to establish a 6-0 lead, before the Knights were given a life when the Roosters had a try disallowed 10 minutes later.
Mark Nawaqanitawase leapt high in the air to mark a Sam Walker kick in the right-hand corner, but the bunker ruled he knocked on as he attempted to ground the ball in the in-goal area.
The Knights built on their advantage in the 29th minute via the standout play of the first half, when captain Kalyn Ponga ran 95 metres to score his side's second converted try.
Nawaqanitawase had tapped back the ball in an aerial contest near the Knights' line, but it was pounced upon by Ponga, who proceeded to outsprint the Roosters' cover defence.
The Roosters showed no sign of panic, though, and Nawaqanitawase got them on the scoreboard with a trademark opportunist try five minutes shy of half-time.
Walker's conversion reduced the Knights' lead to 12-6, which they held through to the break.
The Knights' defence was under pressure early in the second half, as the Roosters launched a series of attacking raids.
The dam wall eventually burst in the 47th minute, with Billy Smith touching down despite the Knights' best efforts to hold the Roosters centre up over the goal line.
Walker added the extras to level scores, and he gave the Roosters the lead for the first time in the match following a 54th-minute penalty goal.
Nawaqanitawase's second try, scored midway through the second half, pushed the lead out to 18-12, before Cherry-Evans nailed a field goal with 11 minutes left in the contest.
It appeared the seven-point margin would see the Roosters through to full-time, prior to Marzhew's heroics setting up the grandstand finish.
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