NRL 2021: Boom Roosters halfback Sam Walker to make his debut against Warriors
Roosters young gun Sam Walker will make his NRL debut this weekend and his manager says he’s already earned the full respect of his senior teammates.
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Sydney Roosters halfback Sam Walker will be named to make NRL debut with his manager saying the rising star was “four or five plays ahead” of rival players.
“His instincts are frightening,” said Walker’s agent and former Parramatta fullback Clinton Schifcofske.
The injury-ravaged Roosters have been forced to apply for an official NRL exemption simply to select 21 fit players for Sunday night’s match against New Zealand Warriors.
With halves Luke Keary (ACL) and Lachlan Lam (medial) unavailable, Roosters coach Trent Robinson will draft 18-year-old Walker – the son of former NRL player Ben – into his 17-man squad.
Drew Hutchinson is expected to be named at five-eighth although Robinson is considering switching centre Joey Manu to six.
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All attention will settle on Walker, the gun rookie ready for the step up into NRL.
“The good players are always one or two plays ahead but I have watched him play since he was 14, Sam is four or five plays ahead of everyone else. When Ben and Shane (his uncle) were coaching at Ipswich, Ben tells the story that Sam was down there at age 10 training with them,” Schifcofske said.
“He has been brought up on the game. And that was the style Ben and Shane played – always on the footy, play what’s in front of you and going at them. That’s how he plays. Always being the Queensland Cup has helped his development.
“He’s got some ability, he’s a talented kid.
“Sam was always the best kid in every team he played, but didn’t have that strut about him.
“There is definitely no ego about the kid.
“And Trent will tell you, the Roosters’ senior players have taken to him, they really respect him even though he hasn’t played a game yet.
“That’s always a good sign.”
The Roosters have 28 contract players but have nine missing through injury, the club’s injury crisis hitting a new level after Friday night’s loss to Souths.
NRL rules state a club must submit an official team sheet comprising 21 players by 4pm each Tuesday.
“Sam, it looks like he will be getting ready to play. He’ll play,” Robinson said.
“We’ve got Drew there who has played a lot for us and is quite an experienced guy now for little games. And we’ve got young Sam ready to play – get ‘em up and get ‘em ready to play.”
Pressed on whether Walker was ready to debut, Robinson said: “Yeah, I do. I think he’s ready, the way he has trained, even the way he’s played in reserve grade and in the trial we played against Canberra as well. They are good starts. So, yeah, I think he’s ready to go.
“Joseph (Suaalii) is in the mix there as well but I don’t think (he will play). We are pretty good in our outside backs. He will be in our 21. I’m not ruling it out but there’s not a strong possibility that he will play this week.”
Earlier this month, Walker told New Corp: “I feel I’m ready for the NRL.”
Manu could also be a surprise five-eighth pushing Walker back to the bench.
“Joey has played five-eighth for us. That’s definitely an option for us, which does open up the outside back,” Robinson said.
“But they are the two decisions, around Joey and Sam, Drew has obviously played quite a lot. They will all at least be in the 21, which is a pretty easy choice this week. Finalising that 17, we’ll know by Wednesday and you’ll know by Sunday.
“I will need an exemption to name 21. To name a guy, you need to prove they are outside of your group and you don’t have anyone inside your top 30 that can play that position. We have 28 at the moment.”
“Obviously with a couple of guys out – along with Jake (Friend) and Boyd (Cordner) – there are a few injuries there that we didn’t want to happen but they have.
“We are down to a really good team we will still put on the park, but we are a bit thin in a couple of positions.”
‘HE’S READY’: ROOSTERS TURN TO YOUNG GUN IN TIME OF NEED
Write us off at your own peril.
That’s the defiant call from Roosters captain Boyd Cordner after coach Trent Robinson declared baby-faced halfback Sam Walker will make his highly-anticipated NRL debut.
In the midst of a massive injury toll, including the crushing news that star halfback Luke Keary has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL, Walker, 18, will be asked to step up.
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The son of former first-grade player Ben Walker, teenage Walker will form a new-look halves pairing for a depleted Roosters side that has $4.25 million worth of talent watching from the sidelines.
The battered Chooks casualty ward includes the loss of Keary‘s halves partner Lachlan Lam for the next four to six weeks with an MCL knee injury, which he also suffered against rivals South Sydney on Friday night.
“He’s ready,’’ Robinson said of Walker. “Without two halves we only have two halves in our top 30. Sam has been training well and is ready to get out there.”
Either back-up half Drew Hutchison or centre Joey Manu will join Walker in the halves.
The return of Victor Radley against the Warriors next Sunday will band-aid the Chooks overflowing list of sidelined stars.
It includes Lindsay Collins (concussion), Jake Friend (concussion), Sam Verrills (knee), Adam Keighran (wrist), Billy Smith (shoulder), Cordner (concussion), Keary and Lam.
Adding to the Roosters woes is the minimum one-game suspension of young forward Daniel Suluka-Fifita.
Suluka-Fifita has been slapped with a grade one striking charge by the NRL match review committee after punching Rabbitohs star Jai Arrow in the back of the head during Friday night’s match.
Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, Cordner confirmed he wouldn’t be altering his return-to-play timeline following his sickening run of head knocks last year.
He admitted that round 12 remains his comeback date despite feeling helpless during the Roosters time of need.
However, pointing to the club’s depth, Cordner said the Roosters season was far from over despite many believing they can’t win this year’s premiership without Keary.
“I have all the belief in the world,” Cordner said.
“It‘s very disappointing to lose a player like Keary and what he has done for our club since he arrived, it’s pretty hard to replace a player like that.
“But we’ve got some great depth here and we’re really confident in the guy that steps up next to do a role in that jersey.
“We’ve got a pretty good system at the Roosters with the next man-up mentality and that’s what it’s going to have to be.’’
Cordner backed Walker to answer the Roosters SOS call.
“Sam Walker has shown some touches of brilliance in his trial with first grade and with the Bears (feeder-club) as well,” Cordner said.
“He‘s been outstanding given he didn’t play a lot of footy last season because of covid, but what he’s been doing at training is pretty impressive.
“I’m sure if he gets the call, he’ll be more than ready.’’
The injury toll could also force Robinson into unleashing much-hyped teenager Joseph Suaalii.
“Suaalii brings a physical nature to the game and our team and if he gets the nod, it will be with the mentality of doing his job for the team,‘’ Cordner said.
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