The Sydney Roosters have a premiership winning roster, so what’s holding them back?
Can one club have too many leaders? How do you keep your firebrands from burning down the house? And, can you win a premiership if you can’t beat the premiership powerhouses? The Roosters have questions to answer.
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Who Is The Boss. Sam Walker or Luke Keary?
That’s one of several burning questions hanging over the Roosters premiership-claims, according to Fox League’s expert judge Matty Johns.
Boasting a star-studded squad that is the envy of the NRL, the Roosters are premiership second-favourites behind Melbourne for a reason.
Adding further motivation to the multimillion-dollar talent pool is a private-pact to smash through a premiership window before the likes of Luke Keary, Joey Manu, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Joseph Suaalii and Sitili Tupouniua depart the club at the end of this season.
However, ahead of a clash with the Raiders at Accor Stadium on Sunday, Johns said that as much as he has enjoyed watching the flamboyant Walker’s increasing confidence to steer the Roosters, there remains uncertainty over who is running the team and who will guide the side when the heat is on in the finals.
“My thinking with the Roosters is, they’re still transitioning to become Sam’s team with Luke (Keary) leaving the club,’’ Johns said.
“There’s others (judges) who think it’s Luke’s team.
“And then you’ve got Teddy (James Tedesco) jumping through the middle, at times with the Roosters, there’s almost too much quality on the field.
“With so many class playmakers things can lead to inconsistency. It’s like, righto, who is the boss?
“We know Nathan Cleary is the boss of Penrith. At the Storm, we know Harry Grant, Cam Munster and Jahrome Hughes have defined roles.
“With the Roosters, I’m still asking myself, is this Sam’s team or not?
“I think there’s so much class and quality around him, I don’t know if it is his team just yet.
“The Roosters have played their best football this year when they’ve played a bit of ‘Sam Ball’, which is unorthodox and unpredictable.
“But when it comes to the big games, does that football, that style, does it work against a hard-nosed team like Melbourne and Penrith.
“I just can’t get a read on the team’s dynamic. In different weeks, I see the style changing and experimenting.
“There’s no doubting the class, but I don’t see them as settled as Melbourne and Penrith.’’
LIVING ON THE EDGE
The Roosters will be without their spiritual leader Waerea-Hargreaves until possibly a preliminary final.
Waerea-Hargreaves has walked a fine line his entire career and the last thing the Roosters need is for him to cross it in the finals. He is their enforcer, which every side needs, but he also has the potential to be one of their greatest liabilities.
He isn’t the only Roosters player with a penchant for finding themselves in the crosshairs of the NRL match review committee. Victor Radley has diced with the judiciary over the years, although he has only incurred one charge this year from the NRL.
It is a far cry from previous years - he was sidelined for eight weeks in 2021 and has faced seven separate charges over the three seasons prior to 2024.
This year, he has been on his best behaviour and if he can maintain his cleanskin approach, it would be a huge fillip of the Roosters in the finals.
Spencer Leniu is the other firebrand in the forward pack who appears to have changed his ways after being suspended over an incident in Las Vegas at the start of the year.
The trio are crucial to the Roosters’ grand final hopes and they will need to control themselves during the finals. It is a balancing act for not just them, but also coach Robinson.
THE HOODOO
It is one of the more remarkable records in the game.
Robinson has been one of the most dominant coaches of the NRL era but in recent times, the domination has come to a grinding halt whenever the Roosters have faced either Penrith or the Sydney Roosters.
Significantly, the Panthers and Storm - or potentially both - will stand in their way if they are to qualify for this year’s grand final. What a chance to smash a hoodoo.
The Roosters’ recent record against both isn’t pretty.
They have lost 10 of their last 11 games against Melbourne including two times this season. Craig Bellamy has the recent wood on Robinson.
Their record against Penrith is even worse - they have lost their last nine games against the three-time premiers stretching back to 2019.
The last time the Roosters beat Penrith, Latrell Mitchell was in the centres and Mitch Aubusson was captain. For some reason, the Roosters have struggled against the competition’s two heavyweights.
THE CONTRACTS
Much has been made about the future of Walker but the sense is that he wants to stay at the Roosters and the parties will work out a deal once the season is over.
The Roosters have already tabled a significant deal but Walker’s camp have knocked it back.
Roosters insiders insist he has no desire to go anywhere and he himself has suggested as much.
Things may not be as dire on that front as many have suggested, although that may change if the Roosters win the premiership and Walker’s value skyrockets as a result.
There are other challenges though, in particular the future of captain Tedesco.
Tedesco recently said he wanted to continue beyond next season but the challenge for the Roosters will be finding a deal that is suitable to all parties.
If Tedesco went on the open market, he would attract plenty of interest.
Again, there is no indication that he has the desire to be anywhere other than the Roosters.
At this point in his career, however, the Roosters would be within their rights to expect Tedesco to take a reduction in his salary to ensure they are able to surround him with a squad capable of winning a premiership. Ben Hunt and Daly Cherry-Evans have done the same at St George Illawarra and Manly.
Tedesco has been the Roosters’ highest-paid player for several years now but that mantle may move to Walker in coming years. Alternatively, the likes of Manu and Suaalii may be lured back at some point.
The Roosters will need the financial artillery to make that happen. The other intriguing deal at the Roosters come November 1 is Brandon Smith.
His time at the Roosters has been tumultuous to say the least but he has begun to look like the best version of himself in recent months.
He has a year remaining on a big-money deal and the Roosters will need to make a call on his future at some point.
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