Sydney Roosters cruise into grand final with Manly All the match highlights from Allianz Stadium as the Knights take on the Roosters. Sydney Roosters' backrower Aidan Guerra is mobbed after scoring against the Knights try in the preliminary final Picture: Gregg Porteous Source: News Limited Sydney Roosters' centre Michael Jennings celebrates scoring a try in the preliminary final Picture: Gregg Porteous Source: News Limited THE Sydney Roosters will finish their season in a grand final while Newcastle legend Danny Buderus finished his glittering career on a stretcher. A night of exhilarating football by the Roosters at Allianz Stadium, highlighted by a scintillating second half which ripped Newcastle to shreds, was tempered by the tragic circumstances which brought down the curtain on the marvellous career of Buderus. The Knights hooker, due to retire at the end of the season, was caught by the forearm of Jared Waerea-Hargreaves as he attempted to tackle the Roosters front rower in the opening half. Buderus was unconscious for several minutes before being taken from the field on the back of a medicab, and then from the stadium in an ambulance as he headed for St Vincent's Hospital for further scans. The Knights' hopes seemingly went with him, although it is hard to believe they could have won even with Buderus in their defensive line. The Roosters were simply brilliant as they set up a premiership decider against Manly at ANZ Stadium in eight days with a 40-14 victory. A week after Manly and Cronulla met in the so-called "Battle of the Beaches," the Roosters ensured this year's decider would carry a similar moniker. The Roosters dominated from the opening siren but it took until the second half for their ascendancy to be reflected on the scoreboard. Aidan Guerra, scorer of two tries, opened the floodgates when he spun over in the 47th minute, the first of four tries in the space of 14 minutes which ended the game as a contest. Centre Michael Jennings added his second when he raced over from a standing start, Mitch Aubusson backed up a Jake Friend break and then Friend himself scurried over to make it 34-4. At that point, coach Trent Robinson - who has led the Roosters to the grand final in his first year in charge - decided it was time to wrap Sonny Bill Williams in cotton wool. Williams only took his place after overcoming a bout of food poisoning on match eve. With Williams off the field, Newcastle scored a couple of consolation tries to fleetingly raise hopes of a comeback. It was a false hope. The Roosters were never going to be run down. It will be the club's first grand final since the 2010 decider, when the Roosters were beaten by St George Illawarra. Now for Manly, a club which secured its place in its fourth grand final in seven years with a victory over South Sydney 24 hours earlier. Only a fortnight ago, the sides met on the opening weekend of the finals. The Roosters scored the only try of that game as they won 4-0. A similar result would be just fine as far as the Roosters are concerned. After fears he could be forced out due to his untimely bout of illness, Williams started the match and was quickly in the thick of the action. After Buderus was penalised for taking out Mitchell Pearce, Williams and Knights centre Joey Leilua exchanged words. Williams was so incensed he pushed Leilua in the face. Leilua didn't back down. The Roosters started the better and they finally had some reward for their early dominance in the seventh minute when James Maloney drew a penalty and then kicked it himself. Pearce did the damage in the lead-up, stepping off his right foot and slicing through the defence. Maloney backed up in support and looked certain to score, only to be dragged down centimetres short of the line by the combined force of Robbie Rochow and Jeremy Smith. In the aftermath, Maloney needed treatment for a problem to his right knee and Smith was placed on report for placing unnecessary pressure on the head of the Roosters five-eighth. Maloney eventually regained his feet and kicked the goal to give his side a 2-0 lead. The Knights were reeling again soon after after a sickening incident involving Buderus. The ugliness continued. Halfback Tyrone Roberts leveled the scores with a penalty goal but two tries in the space of three minutes meant the Roosters went to halftime with an eight-point lead. Daniel Tupou scored the first try of the game in the 31st minute when he soared above Akuila Uate to take a Maloney kick. Then Jennings finished off a sweeping movement which started with a suspicious Williams pass and the Roosters led 12-2. Only the stroke of halftime the Knights managed a penalty goal to reduce the gap ever so slightly at the break. SYDNEY ROOSTERS 40 (A Guerra 2 M Jennings 2 M Aubusson J Friend D Tupou tries J Maloney 6 goals) NEWCASTLE 14 (J Leilua 2 tries T Roberts 3 goals) at Allianz Stadium. Crowd: 37,752.