One unlucky star is set to miss out as Sam Walker returns for the Roosters, while Dylan Lucas has opened up on how he made a miraculous comeback.

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Elsewhere, a Dolphins star has been slapped with a one-match suspension.

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Read below for Finals Week 3 team news and Late Mail!

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 25

Dolphins vs Sydney Roosters @ Suncorp Stadium, 7:50pm

Dolphins Team: 1. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow 2. Jamayne Isaako 3. Jack Bostock 4. Herbie Farnworth 5. Selwyn Cobbo 6. Kodi Nikorima 7. Isaiya Katoa 8. Thomas Flegler 9. Jeremy Marshall-King 10. Tom Gilbert 11. Max Plath 12. Kulikefu Finefeuiaki 13. Morgan Knowles 14. Kurt Donoghoe 15. Ray Stone 16. Francis Molo 17. Connelly Lemuelu 18. Felise Kaufusi 19. Brad Schneider 20. Jake Averillo 21. Brian Pouniu 22. Tevita Naufahu

Players Cut: To come.

Late Mail: No changes are expected with Kristian Woolf confirming on Thursday the Dolphins are set to line up as named. Away from the NRL squad that has been named to face the Roosters, it has been confirmed that fullback sensation Trai Fuller will miss the 2026 QLD Cup Grand Final this weekend after accepting an early guilty plea for dangerous contact on Wednesday. This means he has only been hit with a one-match ban and will be available to play in the 2026 State Challenge against the NSW Cup premiers on grand final day. It also makes him available for selection for the NRL Grand Final if the Dolphins are to defeat the Tricolours on Friday.

“The Redcliffe Dolphins and fullback Trai Fuller will not contest his Grade 1 charge from Sunday’s preliminary final,” a statement from the Redcliffe Dolphins read. “As a result, he will miss this weekend’s grand final. While this was an incredibly tough call for both the club and Trai to make, we are extremely grateful for his efforts and camaraderie throughout the season, and the role he has played in getting us to this point. Thank you, Trai.”

Nawaqanitawase eyes fairytale finish | 01:59

Roosters Team: 1. James Tedesco 2. Daniel Tupou 3. Billy Smith 4. Robert Toia 5. Mark Nawaqanitawase 6. Daly Cherry-Evans 7. Sam Walker 8. Naufahu Whyte 9. Reece Robson 10. Lindsay Collins 11. Salesi Foketi 12. Siua Wong 13. Victor Radley 14. Connor Watson 15. Angus Crichton 16. Nat Butcher 17. Spencer Leniu 18. Hugo Savala 19. Cody Ramsey 20. Egan Butcher 21. Tommy Talau 22. Benaiah Ioelu

Players Cut: To come.

Late Mail: Roosters coach Trent Robinson has declared returning halfback Sam Walker is “fit and ready to go” and will play 80 minutes in Friday’s preliminary final after his incredible comeback from injury. Walker suffered a syndesmosis injury in round 26 against the Dolphins on August 29 but has been named to play just four weeks later against the same opposition in the grand final qualifier. The Queensland star will wear the No.7 on his back, with Hugo Savala dropping back to the bench after filling in alongside Daly Cherry-Evans. Walker got through Monday’s training session and will be on the plane with the team on Thursday when they fly up to Brisbane. “He’s fit and ready to go,” Robinson said. “Hugo’s been outstanding and he’s ready to go, and the only reason that I would put Sam in is if I knew he was 100 per cent and he’s right. He’s moved in lots of directions so far, so another good session today. But it hasn’t actually been that long since he played. There are obviously some guys that get out with injury for a long period of time, whereas he didn’t play that long ago and he got moving quite quickly after that op.”

Sam Walker will be back on deck. Picture: Richard DobsonSource: News Corp Australia

Walker will kick goals on Friday, but Savala is ready to step up if required. It’s a remarkable return given the doom and gloom when Walker went down with the injury, but he made it clear to Robinson at the time that his target was always this week. “I think the operation credit goes to both doctors and also physios to the speed of the recovery. And then also the mindset of Sammy, he was pretty clear about what his target was,” the three-time premiership-winning coach said. “I said to him two weeks ago ‘do you think you’ll be right for the last game of the year?’ and he said ‘I’ll be right for the one before that’. “And even that surprised me a couple of weeks ago. Do you have the physical capacity and treatment? And he’s done that. And then do you have the mindset to get back ready to play? And he’s got that.”

It’s unclear what role Savala plays given he can fill in at centre, in the halves or at lock forward, but Robinson is confident he will thrive wherever he comes on. “Hugo is so important to our team and the way that he approaches the game and plays the game. He’ll have his part to play,” he said. “Both of them said ‘what do you want me to do and what role do you want me to play?’ There was a selfless act from both of them, and then I made the decision about what I wanted to start the game there.”

Where will Hugo Savala play? (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

CODE Sports reporter Michael Carayannis, however, said on NRL 360 that he believes Savala’s role off the bench will be clear and come at the expense of one “terribly unlucky” player.

“If we go back to the preseason there was some noise about the Roosters and how they use their bench rotation,” Carayannis said. “Hugo had such a good year last year and Daly Cherry-Evans was brought in to be the half. The role Hugo was supposed to play at the start of the year was that utility role, the Connor Watson role… I think Connor is the one under pressure to keep his spot. We’ve seen it twice with both those guys on the bench. Once they both got on the field, in Round 21 Connor Watson was unused for 80 minutes. You’re not going to miss Spencer Leniu. Butcher is on the bench and you’ve got Spencer Leniu.”

Meanwhile, Robinson has addressed concerns over star duo James Tedesco and Cherry-Evans after the pair sat out Monday’s session with the flu. “They’re pretty good. Daly should get through a fair bit, James will get through a bit today as well. Still on the mend, but that’s the life of an athlete,” he said. “They’re a little bit crook, but that’s cool. There’s always either injuries or illness or babies or moving or whatever you want to throw up. A bit of our mantra there is we’ll care about you Monday to Friday, but game day we don’t care, get ready to play.”

– with Martin Gabor (NCA NewsWire)

Walker return possible risk for Roosters | 01:14

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 27

Penrith Panthers vs Newcastle Knights @ Accor Stadium, 4:05pm AEST

Panthers Team: 1. Dylan Edwards 2. Thomas Jenkins 3. Blaize Talagi 4. Casey McLean 5. Brian To’o 6. Jack Cole 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Moses Leota 9. Mitch Kenny 10. Lindsay Smith 11. Isaiah Papali’i 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo 14. Jack Cogger 15. Scott Sorensen 16. Liam Henry 17. Billy Phillips 18. Luke Garner 19. Billy Scott 20. Luron Patea 21. Freddy Lussick 22. Izack Tago

Players Cut: To come.

Late Mail: To come.

Knights Team: 1. Kalyn Ponga 2. Dominic Young 3. Dane Gagai 4. Bradman Best 5. Greg Marzhew 6. Fletcher Sharpe 7. Sandon Smith 8. Tyson Frizell 9. Phoenix Crossland 10. Cody Hopwood 11. Jermaine McEwen 12. Francis Manuleleua 13. Mathew Croker 14. Harrison Graham 15. Lachlan Crouch 16. Pasami Saulo 17. Dylan Lucas 18. Fletcher Hunt 19. Thomas Cant 20. Kyle McCarthy 21. Elijah Leaumoana 22. Toby Winter

Players Cut: To come.

Late Mail: Second rower Dylan Lucas is once again expected to play an impact role off the bench after making a successful return from his ankle injury last week. Lucas opened up on his miraculous comeback in an interview with CODE Sports this week, revealing how he was able to return four weeks earlier than expected. Lucas said he spent plenty of time with his foot in an ice bath doing rehab at home while also pestering club medicos for advice. “I was doing rehab at home, just rubbing cream into it, trying to free up that swelling. Trying to massage the joint, get the movement back in it, and pretty much just sitting in the ice machine,” he told Code Sports. “There’s this company called Athlelite, he makes these creams that are supposed to improve healing. I brought some of that into training and they were happy to massage me with that, just buying into things that I was trying to do to get there. They might have thought that it won’t do anything and could be a placebo, but I definitely felt like it was helping me. For them to be able to buy into that stuff and not shut it down definitely helped.” It was around six weeks in that Lucas started to think he was a realistic chance of returning for the finals.

Cleary cleared for prelim | 00:31