By Dan Walsh
Roosters star Victor Radley will attempt to replicate Cooper Cronk’s grand final heroics by playing on with a fractured scapula this season as the club reels from one of its most brutal days in recent memory.
Radley had been expected to join playmaking maestros Sam Walker and Brandon Smith in going under the knife after the trio went down against Canberra on Sunday, with Walker and Smith’s confirmed ACL ruptures the 11th and 12th suffered by Roosters players since 2020.
English international Radley was forced off as well with a fracture to his left scapula, but will consult with a shoulder specialist rather than undergoing an immediate operation in a bid to return late in the finals series.
He is no chance of playing against the Rabbitohs on Friday’s five-day turnaround, joining Walker, Smith, fellow back-rower Nat Butcher (HIA) and suspended prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves on the sidelines, making for more than $3 million in sidelined talent.
Officials are optimistic that Radley could return for a preliminary final if the Roosters push that far into the play-offs, with their top-four finish guaranteeing a second chance in the semis.
Cronk famously pushed through the pain of his own fractured scapula in the 2018 decider, when the Roosters hid him in their defensive line against Melbourne.
Victor Radley with a Roosters’ trainer after suffering a shoulder injury.Credit: Getty Images
Radley’s own defensive workload and prowess make that an unlikely prospect, but the Roosters do have depth on their edges, too, with Sitili Tupouniua and Siua Wong able to step in for Radley and Butcher against South Sydney.
Sandon Smith is set to partner senior playmaker Luke Keary at the scrumbase.
Brisbane’s Shane Perry is the only premiership-winning No.7 of the past 30 years to step into the role as a replacement halfback, doing so in place of the sacked Brett Seymour two months out from the 2006 grand final.
Connor Watson shapes as Smith’s replacement at hooker, while Canberra’s Elliott Whitehead is facing a minimum three-game ban for the hip drop tackle that caused his ACL rupture and led to a heated exchange between he and Trent Robinson in the Allianz Stadium sheds.
ACL injuries suffered in the NRL since 2020.Credit: NRL Physio
Robinson dismissed Whitehead’s attempts to check in on Smith after full-time, saying “the hip drop’s been pretty common in his game for a long time.”
Whitehead’s charge was his fourth since late 2022 for hip drop tackle but the previous three were deemed minor infractions and punished only with fines.
The NRL has indicated Robinson’s comments about Whitehead are not under review from the governing body.
The ACL ruptures for Smith and Walker take the Roosters to a round dozen knee reconstructions in the past five seasons, with luckless centre Billy Smith – who returned from a lengthy ankle injury last week – suffering three alone.
According to NRL Physio, the figure is double the next most prevalent clubs in that period (the Cowboys, Warriors and Tigers have all had six ACL ruptures).
The Roosters have previously looked into their surprisingly high rate of rugby league’s most feared injury and found no common cause, with changes in their medical and high-performance staff throughout that period.
Walker’s injury blow comes at a delicate time in extension talks, with the Roosters keen to tie him down before the November 1 deadline when rival NRL clubs can officially table offers for 2026 and beyond.
A two-year extension worth around $1.9 million has already been tabled by the club, but both parties were also working towards a long-term deal. A strong finals series from Walker was expected to tip his value beyond $1 million a season.
Smith’s injury blow also comes after conjecture around his own future midway through the year when he was dropped for disciplinary reasons.
The Kiwi international had been in impressive form since being put on notice with the club as he too also enters the final year of his contract, worth around $900,000 in 2025 due to a salary cap-based ratchet clause.
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