2026 Clive Churchill Medal Predictions
There are plenty of candidates to be named Clive Churchill Medal winner in Sunday's NRL Grand Final with Sam Walker and Kalyn Ponga the two best value selections.
Each of the past five winners has come from the premiership-winning team, with four of those five medals going to either a halfback or fullback.
That makes Walker and Ponga the leading two candidates from each team to be named as the player judged best on ground in the NRL Grand Final.
Also read our best bets for the NRL Grand Final and three selections for the opening try of the game.
Sam Walker (Sydney Roosters)
We looked around for a clever alternative to the favourite, but sometimes the obvious names are obvious for a reason.
Walker has been at the centre of the Roosters attack throughout 2026, recording 11 tries, 22 try assists and 22 line-break assists in 22 appearances, along with eight line breaks.
The Roosters have plenty of potential match-winners around him, including James Tedesco and Daly Cherry-Evans, but Walker has the attacking numbers to take control of the biggest game of the season.
Newcastle have shown throughout their finals run that they aren't going to be easy to break down, so this may come down to which player can find the small openings that simply aren't there for most of the game.
If the Roosters get the result and Walker is the man creating those openings, history suggests he'll be right in the conversation when the medal is awarded.
Kalyn Ponga (Newcastle Knights)
On the other side of the field, Ponga is the player we want if Newcastle complete their remarkable run from wooden spooners in 2025 to premiers in 2026.
The Knights fullback has played only 18 games this season but has still produced five tries, 14 try assists and 15 line breaks, while our match-by-match tally has him at 22 line-break assists.
His ability with the ball has been particularly impressive. Ponga has also produced 97 tackle breaks and averaged 167 running metres per game, giving Newcastle a genuine threat whenever he gets the ball with some space.
The challenge on Sunday is finding a way through a Roosters defence that has helped carry them all the way to the Grand Final.
That is exactly why we keep coming back to Ponga.
Give him enough opportunities around a retreating defensive line and there aren't many players in the competition better equipped to turn half a chance into something decisive.