NRL 2024: Departing Cowboy Chad Townsend backs Sam Walker as the man in Roosters’ premiership bid
In his first interview since joining the Roosters, Chad Townsend has vowed not to destabilise the clubs scrumbase, hailing Sam Walker as the man to bring a premiership back to Bondi.
Halfback recruit Chad Townsend insists he won’t destabilise the Roosters scrumbase and has hailed Sam Walker as the playmaking young gun to bring an NRL premiership back to Bondi.
As revealed by this masthead, Townsend has agreed terms on a one-year deal with the Roosters and the Cowboys veteran broke his silence on the reasons behind his shock move to the NRL glamour club.
The former Sharks title-winner is committed to the Cowboys for the rest of this season before shifting to the Roosters where he will chase a second premiership ring in what shapes as his NRL swan song in 2025.
But Townsend scuppered speculation he is eyeing off the No.7 jumper, vowing to play a mentoring role for rising halves Walker and Sandon Smith in the post-Luke Keary era.
Townsend turns 34 in January and believes Walker, rated Queensland’s next Origin halfback after Daly Cherry-Evans, has the class to deliver the Roosters’ first premiership since back-to-back titles in 2018-19.
“I am pretty clear in what my role will be,” Townsend said in his first interview since inking a 12-month deal with the Roosters.
“I’m there to help and I will be there to help in any way I can.
“Whatever ‘Robbo’ (coach Trent Robinson) needs me to do, I am willing to do.
“I am looking forward to working with those two younger halves, they are very exciting halves.
“Obviously, Sam has done some incredible things on the field and Sandon Smith has done some good things as well.
“If I can mentor those guys and help them in any way, I will do that.”
Townsend knows what it takes to win a title. The 257-game shot-caller steered Cronulla to the 2016 premiership and he believes the 22-year-old Walker has what it takes to take the Roosters to the title summit.
“Without a doubt he can,” he said.
“Sam’s style of play is what some would say is a little unorthodox, but it is incredible to watch.
“He is entertaining and the best thing about Sam Walker is you don’t know what the kid is going to do next. He has that many tricks in his bag. I look forward to meeting him more next year and getting to know him.”
While the Roosters are determined for Smith, 21, and Walker to succeed, Townsend doesn’t want to be a passenger at Bondi and vowed to step-up if required from the NSW Cup.
“I will be there competing as much as I can,” he said.
“Look, I understand where I’m at. I understand what my role is at the Roosters and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to help the team win.
“At the end of the day, I will be competing and doing my best every day and soaking up what could be my last year professionally as an NRL player.
“If I get the opportunity to play first grade at the Roosters, that’s great.”
Townsend paid tribute to the Cowboys for resurrecting his career on a three-year deal that saw him play a key role in North Queensland’s fairytale preliminary final campaign in 2022.
Townsend’s mentoring helped turn Tom Dearden into an Origin playmaker at the Cowboys and he is hoping to do the same thing for Maroons hopeful Walker.
“I can’t thank the Cowboys enough. Going to North Queensland has been one of the best moves of my career,” he said.
“I will always value the experiences I’ve had up here, the people I’ve met and the relationships I’ve made.
“I can confidently say that some of these guys are some of the best mates I have got now and this is one of the tightest-knit playing groups I have ever been a part of.
“It will be sad to say goodbye at the end of the season.
“I’m really proud of what we have been able to achieve up here over the last couple of years. The first year was like a movie. Last year was up and down and this year I feel like we are heading in the right direction.
“I am really focused on making sure I finish on a good note here.”
Townsend had interest from Super League clubs and the Bulldogs and was shocked when Roosters coach Robinson came calling.
“To be honest, I wasn’t sure if the Roosters move would happen,” he said.
“The first thing I wanted to do was make sure I wanted to play next season.
“Being off-contract, this is my 14th year and I know at some stage it will finish. I gave myself the first six weeks of this season to answer that question. The first thing I decided was that I definitely wanted to play next year. I still have that fire in the belly and I wanted to play on.
“Once I made that decision, I just wanted to enjoy myself and enjoy every day coming to training because I wasn’t sure if it was going to be my last.
“I met with multiple teams overseas and looked at it really hard. I had a couple of meetings in Australia with NRL teams as well, then the opportunity came up to meet with Trent Robinson and Daniel Anderson (recruitment chief).
“They explained where they were at with their roster and it was a move that really appealed to me.
“An offer came through and then we agreed on it a week later, so it happened pretty quickly.
“Not knowing what was going to happen next year fuelled me, motivated me but it also excited me about going after a new challenge and exploring what is out there for me and my family.
“I think we have found that with the Roosters.
“I’m looking forward to the opportunity to be inside the four walls of the Roosters and be around Trent Robinson, hearing him speak and I just want to help their guys win anyway I can.
“I still believe at my age I can learn more and I am open to do that. The Roosters run a tight ship with their expectations and standards and that will happen next year, but my full focus first is on the Cowboys.
“Hopefully I can finish up here with a premiership, that would be a fairytale ending.”
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