NRL 2021: Roosters raid Broncos to sign Xavier and De La Salle Va’a

Not content with luring halfback whizkid Sam Walker to Bondi, the Roosters have plundered Brisbane’s junior ranks yet again.

The Roosters have struck another blow on the embattled Broncos by attacking Brisbane’s Academy to successfully poach two of the club’s most promising front-rowers.

Not content with luring halfback whizkid Sam Walker to Bondi, the Roosters have plundered Brisbane’s junior ranks yet again to snare the prized signatures of monster front-row brothers Xavier and De La Salle Va’a.

The Broncos’ Elite Player Development system has been under siege in recent years with the Roosters poaching Walker, the Warriors stealing Reece Walsh and the Bulldogs going close to attracting Brendan Piakura.

Now the Roosters have picked off more Broncos talent.

The Toowoomba hulks are so gifted they are also Queensland junior boxing champions, but it was their footballing prowess that had four NRL clubs - the Broncos, Roosters, Cowboys and Cronulla - vying for their services.

Brisbane were keen to keep the off-contract duo, but the Roosters have delivered another one-two punch on the Broncos, securing the Va’a siblings on three-year deals until the end of 2024.

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De La Salle and Xavier Va’a have been poached by the Roosters.

At 193cm and 116kg, hulking Xavier made his Toowoomba first-grade debut at age 17 last week and sparred with Paul Gallen in June to help the Cronulla legend prepare for his heavyweight bout against Justis Huni.

Younger brother De La Salle is one of the biggest teenagers in Australian sport, with the 194cm and 115kg giant already bigger than many NRL forwards at the tender age of 15.

The Broncos had high hopes for the Va’a brothers, but the boom forwards have opted to join Walker at the Bondi powerhouse in their quest to play NRL.

The Broncos have hit back against poaching rivals this season, retaining a host of young guns headlined by Selwyn Cobbo, TC Robati, Piakura, Tesi Niu and Xavier Willison.

De La Salle Va’a with former NRL player Ben Hannant.

Xavier Va’a with former NRL star and boxer Paul Gallen.

“It’s a great coup for the Roosters,” said the Va’a siblings’ manager Shaun Pyne, also the agent of Queensland Origin superstar Cameron Munster.

“They are guns on the football (field) and in the boxing ring.

“Xavier and De La Salle both qualified for the World Youth Championships in boxing last year, but they are keen to make it in the NRL.

“Xavier has sparred Paul Gallen and would fight him in a heartbeat. He would be happy to fight Payne Haas or Josh Papalii (NRL props).

“They are enormous boys and very good front-rowers.

“Brisbane wanted to keep them, but their offer couldn’t compete with the Roosters.

“Brisbane have some good young forwards coming through in Payne Haas, Tom Flegler and Xavier Willison, so the Va’a boys were excited about the opportunity to learn in the Roosters system.”

The Roosters were so keen to pull off a poaching raid that coach Trent Robinson met with the Va’a brothers on the Gold Coast earlier this year before NRL clubs were forced into a Covid bubble.

The Roosters have already poached Sam Walker from the Broncos. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

“The boys were blown away by having dinner with Trent and Daniel Anderson (recruitment chief) was the one at the Roosters who scouted them,” Pyne said.

“They come from a great family. Their mum is a doctor and both boys want to go to university. Xavier wants to study psychology and De La Salle wants to become a doctor.

“The opportunity to be mentored by Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (veteran Roosters prop) was a huge factor.

“Xavier and De La Salle also hope to work with Sonny Bill Williams (Roosters legend), not only with their football but their boxing careers.

“Xavier is a very good prop. He has good leg speed and runs hard, he is a no-frills front-rower and he has the ability to offload. He will get a great education at the Roosters.”