Roosters baulk at James Tedesco request amid Joseph Suaalii contract showdown
The Roosters face an awkward dilemma with James Tedesco and Joseph Suaalii coming off-contract at the same time.
The Roosters face an awkward dilemma with James Tedesco and Joseph Suaalii coming off-contract at the same time, with the club reportedly unhappy with their skipper’s extension requests.
Suaalii recently committed to the Roosters for 2024, with Tedesco also coming off-contract at the end of next season.
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The Sydney Morning Herald’s Andrew Webster told SEN radio that the Roosters are unhappy with Tedesco’s management for hounding them for an extension for 2025.
“They’ve got a really interesting situation off the field with Tedesco and Suaalii,” Webster said on SEN 1170 Mornings.
“Joseph Suaalii has triggered his option for 2024 but that means both him and James Tedesco will be coming off contract at the same time.
“James Tedesco’s management have been pushing the Roosters for the last few months to get an extra year on his contract, that hasn’t gone down particularly well with Roosters management.
“Particularly Nick Politis who doesn’t like getting bullied into triggering contracts, particularly when the player is very well paid.”
Tedesco is on $1.1 million a season, while Suaalii will reportedly earn $700,000 in 2024, but he could command a deal of around $1 million annually for 2025 and beyond.
Webster believes the Roosters could be forced to choose between Tedesco, who turns 32 in 2025 and the younger Suaalii, who will be just 21 that same year with the bulk of his career still ahead of him.
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“The salary cap makes clubs work in advance about what their future is going to look like, but this is a very tricky one,” Webster said.
“They’ve got arguably the best fullback in the game, in James Tedesco and arguably the best future fullback in the game in Joseph Suaalii.
“If they get forced to choose in the next year it’s going to be a very tricky one for the club to handle.”
Originally published as Roosters baulk at James Tedesco request amid Joseph Suaalii contract showdown
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