Premiership winning Roosters veteran to announce early retirement

The Sydney Roosters are set to lose a key part of the premiership winning roster with a veteran playmaker calling time on his career early.

Sydney Roosters veteran Luke Keary is set to retire early. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Sydney Roosters star Luke Keary is set to announce his retirement from the NRL.

The Daily Telegraph reports the Roosters have organised a press conference this week to announce the veteran five-eighth will call time on his career at the end of the season.

The 32-year-old signed a contract extension on the eve of the season that would have kept him with the Roosters until the end of the 2025.

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Keary won the 2014 premiership with the South Sydney Rabbitohs and was a key member of the Roosters’s triumphs in 2018 and 2019.

The playmaker has battled with concussions throughout his career and sustained five concussions between January 2018 and May 2019.

He then missed more than a month of the season in 2022 after another concussion and has worn headgear during games since that year.

Roosters veteran Luke Keary is set to retire early. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

“I’m really happy to extend with the Roosters for another year,” Keary said at the time of his contract extension in February.

“I’m still motivated to keep getting better as a player and we’ve got a great crew here so I’m excited about what we can achieve over the next few years.”

Keary has played 207 NRL games in his career and has represented NSW once in State of Origin and played for Australia on two occasions.

His impending departure only heighens the need for the Roosters to re-sign young halfback Sam Walker.

Luke Keary (centre) won two premierships with the Roosters. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

The 21-year-old is out of contract at the end of 2025 and has emerged as the best up and coming playmaker in the NRL, starring in the Roosters 60-18 win over the Dragons on Anzac Day.

Walker’s contract expires at the same time as veteran halves Daly Cherry-Evans and Adam Reynolds, and there will be plenty of interest from rival teams desperate to acquire the Queenslander’s services.

The news of Keary’s retirement continues a steady exodus from the Roosters.

The Tricolours are preparing for the departures of Joseph Suaali’i and Joseph Manu to rugby union, while 300-gamer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves will join Hull KR in the Super League next year.

His retirement also comes after former teammates Boyd Cordner and Jake Friend were forced to call it quits due to repeated concussions sustained throughout their careers.

Just last week veteran Sharks forward Dale Finucane retired immediately from the game due to his concussion battle.

Originally published as Premiership winning Roosters veteran to announce early retirement