Sydney Roosters announce three-year partnership with Iona College
If the Broncos thought losing Sam Walker was bad — how about a host of the best Queensland talent heading to Bondi? This is the bold plan which should have Brisbane fans worried.
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They poached Sam Walker from the Broncos and now Sydney Roosters have ramped-up a development assault on their glamour rivals by setting up a Queensland Academy on Brisbane soil.
This masthead can reveal the Broncos are under siege on several fronts with the Roosters following the lead of the Warriors by launching a Bondi development blitz in Brisbane’s backyard.
The Bondi powerhouse will on Saturday announce a three-year partnership with Iona College, the Brisbane school which produced Roosters enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.
The Warriors have set up an Academy in direct opposition to the Broncos in the Logan region and now the Roosters have landed in enemy territory looking to win over the hearts and minds of Brisbane’s next generation of NRL hopefuls.
The Roosters have already proven a thorn in Brisbane’s side in recent years.
Billionaire Nick Politis’ Chooks raided the Broncos Academy in 2019 by stealing halfback whizkid Walker, the Roosters’ chief playmaker who was the NRL’s rookie-of-the-year in 2021.
The Roosters then struck again two years later, poaching Broncos Academy front-row rookies Xavier and De La Salle Va’a, who have since made their NRL debuts at Bondi.
The Roosters alliance will make Iona a magnet for the best league talent in Brisbane because it provides a direct pathway into an NRL system in a unique partnership for a Queensland school with a Sydney-based club.
Aside from Waerea-Hargreaves, the Wynnum Manly school has also unearthed Queensland Origin legend Bob Lindner, former Maroon Chris McKenna and Dolphins star Max Plath, who was poached from the Broncos.
Former Roosters CEO and current Queensland Rugby League chairman Brian Canavan is a former teacher at Iona College.
Roosters football director Mitch Aubusson played a key role in the Iona grassroots strategic plan as the Bondi club looks to find Queensland’s next Sam Walker or Reece Walsh.
Leaked correspondence, obtained by this masthead, confirmed the Roosters’ strategic move into the Broncos’ backyard.
“National Rugby League club the Sydney Roosters will join Iona in a strategic partnership that will create enhanced pathways into the NRL system for our student athletes via the Sydney Roosters Queensland Academy,” Iona College principal Trevor Goodwin wrote in an internal email.
“This partnership is a genuine collaboration to provide our students and coaches with unparalleled access to elite coaching, facilities, and mentorship opportunities for those aspiring to career pathways in the NRL.
“The partnership aligns perfectly with our commitment to excellence in personal development, education and sport, and we look forward to seeing our students benefit from this direct pathway into professional rugby league.”
Under the partnership agreement, Iona College will provide the Sydney Roosters with access to its sporting facilities.
In return, the Roosters will provide academy and development staff to support Iona College’s rugby league and high-performance sport programs, and the Tricolours’ Queensland Academy initiatives.
The Roosters have a history of luring Broncos products to Bondi.
Former Broncos under-20s prop Lindsay Collins has developed into a Queensland Origin player at the Roosters, while Brisbane young guns Chris Walker and Justin Hodges had stints at Bondi.
The Roosters sensationally struck a secret deal with Wayne Bennett in 2006, only for the then Broncos supercoach to renege on the deal in Brisbane’s march to that year’s premiership.
“This partnership will see the Roosters’ Queensland Academy be based here at Iona through use of our fields and facilities,” Goodwin said.
“Both organisations are committed to regularly reviewing and enhancing the program to maximise benefits for all participants.
“The partnership is the culmination of two years of relationship building and hard work, and commences immediately.”
Originally published as Sydney Roosters announce three-year partnership with Iona College
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