Sam Walker and the Roosters caught the NRL world off-guard on Monday night when the club confirmed it had withdrawn its offer to the star halfback ahead of the November 1 deadline.
A special edition of NRL 360 will break down all the latest November 1 madness, including Sam Walker and Hudson Young. Catch the episode at 1pm AEDT on Fox League 502 and stream the episode on Kayo Sports.
It allows Walker to negotiate with rival clubs and could see the premiership winner walk out the door, with a few teams already emerging as favourites to sign him.
Elsewhere, there have been some interesting names floated as potential replacements for Walker should he find a better deal elsewhere.
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Here, foxsports.com.au looks at the biggest talking points from Monday’s development, including how we could see history repeating at the Roosters.
WHERE COULD WALKER LAND?
This is the big question.
If Walker is really willing to pass up the opportunity to stay with the defending premiers, surely he has something better out there?
Foxsports.com.au looked at the leading contenders to sign him and one of the early favourites has to be the Perth Bears, who Paul Crawley recently reported could offer him around $1.5 million a season.
Veteran rugby league reporter David Riccio said on SEN’s ‘The Front Office with Vossy’ that the Bears are the one club who could really challenge the Roosters’ offer in the short-term if Walker is granted an early release.
“The catch is there is one club that could offer the money that Sam Walker ultimately wants, which is close to $1.4 to $1.5 million. It’s the Perth Bears,” he said.
“Sam Walker could go to the Perth Bears and shift the dynamic of that new franchise effectively immediately. That’s the catch.
“When I said at the start that Sam Walker is more a chance of not being at the Roosters than being there, I think there is really only one club that can get him in right away and that’s the Perth Bears.”
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Otherwise, if Walker stays at the Roosters for next year the PNG Chiefs are the obvious other big threat given they have the benefit of offering a tax-free salary.
Nathan Cleary looks increasingly likely to stay at Penrith and while Zane Harrison has been linked to the Chiefs, Walker has already proven himself a top-tier NRL talent and would be worth every cent.
Then there are the Broncos. Code Sports reported that they have ruled out a play for Walker, who left the club in 2019 after a salary cap squeeze.
A move back to Brisbane would make plenty of sense for Walker, who could link up with Kangaroos teammate Reece Walsh and would fill a glaring need at the club.
The Broncos have plenty of options in the halves including Ezra Mam, Tom Duffy, Jonah Pezet and Ben Hunt but all four have question marks and Walker would be a major upgrade.
For now, however, it sounds like Brisbane has other ideas due to salary cap restrictions.
But staying up north, what about the Titans or Cowboys? The Gold Coast is reported to be weighing up a big-money play at Harry Grant, so what about Walker?
That, of course, would be contingent on whether Harrison stays at the club because if he does the Titans wouldn’t want to invest that much money into the halves and it would leave Jayden Campbell without a clear position in the starting line-up.
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Zane Harrison is one option to replace Walker. (Photo by Jeremy Ng/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
As for the Cowboys, if Tom Dearden is a target for the Roosters as has long been rumoured it would make plenty of sense for North Queensland to snap up Walker as his replacement.
It is also worth mentioning the Rabbitohs given next year may be Cody Walker’s last in the NRL and while Ashton Ward has looked solid early in his career, Walker would elevate a South Sydney side that is stacked elsewhere and primed for a premiership tilt.
The Bulldogs, of course, are also worth a shout as they search for their long-term halfback with Lachlan Galvin better suited to five-eighth.
While it is hard to rule too many clubs out given a player of Walker’s talent rarely becomes available, there are a few teams that don’t make sense on the surface.
Ethan Strange has been mentioned as a potential Walker replacement, but that would only happen if the Raiders moved forward with Coby Black and Ethan Sanders in the halves.
The Sharks are a smokey, but more likely to consider a play for someone like Walker at the end of next year if the Nicho Hynes-Braydon Trindall combination can’t get them over the top in the finals again.
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Where could Walker sign?Source: Supplied
The Dolphins already have their long-term halfback in Isaiya Katoa and face a salary cap squeeze elsewhere, and the same goes with the Panthers should Cleary stay as expected.
The Sea Eagles are reportedly happy to offload Luke Brooks because they too have their halfback of the future in Joey Walsh, while the Knights have too much invested in Dylan Brown to consider a play.
The Storm are an intriguing option with Cameron Munster weighing up his future, but they are also in a tricky spot with their salary cap which makes a Walker move unlikely.
How about the Eels? That’d only make sense if Mitch Moses left. Maybe he asks for an early release if Parramatta struggles again next year but why would Walker want to join an underperforming Eels side?
As for the Warriors, they have Tanah Boyd, Chanel Harris-Tavita and Te Maire Martin all contracted for next year and seem another year or two away from making a seismic move like that.
WHO DO THE ROOSTERS REPLACE HIM WITH?
So with Walker headed for the exit at the end of next season, or even before the Roosters’ 2027 campaign begins, who could fill his spot?
Two frontrunners have already emerged, although both players are currently under contract until the end of 2028.
Tom Dearden “sits at the top” of the Tricolours wish list according to The Daily Telegraph’s David Riccio, with constant rumblings he has a desire to move to Sydney due to his partner being based there.
Tom Dearden has been linked with a move to Sydney. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
However, the Cowboys are unlikely to let him depart without compensation, which could come in the form of a transfer fee or a player swap, with Dearden exiting his contract early.
“There’s a pecking order. Tommy Dearden sits at the top as far as I’m concerned. I think the Roosters know exactly the elite level player that Tom Dearden is and what he would do for that Roosters side,” Riccio said.
“They certainly have the cash now and it all makes sense from a family point of view. Tommy Dearden was quick to try and shoot this one down mid-season.
“Honestly, I reckon the first I heard Tom Dearden to Sydney was around February to March this year. It’s been around for so long.”
The second option is Ethan Strange, who has strong links to the Roosters, being a former junior while his Dad coaches and his sister plays in the club’s NRLW team.
Adding to the equation is the fact the Raiders have Ethan Sanders and Coby Black in their halves ranks, with both pushing for first grade minutes.
Strange is contracted until the end of 2028, like Dearden, so the Raiders would also need compensation for any move to take place.
The Tricolours have a number of rising playmakers in their ranks, with the likes of Toby Rodwell, Carter Mareko and Reece Foley being potential candidates to join Hugo Savala in the halves.
Hugo Savala will take on a bigger role next year anyway. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“They’ll start to plan for next season through Toby Rodwell and Hugo Savala,” Riccio explained.
“They’ve got another very talented playmaker below that in NSW Under 19 half Carter Mareko and this will be Trent Robinson’s way of developing and blooding the next wave of talent coming through at the Chooks.”
Elsewhere, Zane Harrison and Cameron Munster shape as left-field options.
After the Storm tabled a contract that marked a significant hair cut for the Origin and Test five-eighth, Munster’s management reportedly made it clear their client would test the open market.
They also revealed the Queensland skipper was “open to all options”, including Sydney, with a rumoured move to the Rabbitohs emerging.
And if Munster is willing to move to South Sydney, he almost certainly would entertain a switch to the Roosters.
“I can tell you, we are not ruling out a move to Sydney,” Munster’s agent Justin Caines told CODE Sports.
“We’re open to all options. We have made no secret about the fact we’re heading to November 1 and Sydney is certainly an option.
“Cameron is a family man, he is a captain, and he is a leader. We have no concerns about him living or playing anywhere.”
Harrison, meanwhile, is set to hit the open market after a breakout season, playing 11 games and impressing at halfback for the Titans.
Reports emerged he was seeking a mammoth $900,000 salary on his next deal, with the Titans’ offer landing at $700,000.
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COULD WALKER STILL STAY?
The NRL never ceases to amaze, but it would take a big turnaround for Walker to remain at the Roosters.
Nick Politis was reportedly furious Walker’s management made one last pass at a salary bump, making the decision to pull the halfback’s extension offer.
But what could work in Walker’s favour is that Code Sports reported the Tricolours supremo was “shattered” by the breakdown in negotiations, hoping Walker would be a Rooster for life.
So could he remain at the Roosters still? According to The Daily Telegraph’s David Riccio, he would need to sit down with the club’s powerbrokers for mediation talks.
“I just feel as though it would only be a hugely apologetic, remorseful Walker suggesting I got this one wrong, please have me back,” David Riccio said on SEN’s ‘The Front Office with Vossy’.
“That is probably the only way Sammy Walker stays at the Chooks next season as far as I’m concerned.”
But working against him is the fact the Roosters were “already frustrated” by the negotiations prior to what unfolded on Monday evening.
“The Roosters were very confident they were going to get a deal done with Sam Walker and all indications are that a deal had been agreed upon yesterday,” Michael Carayannis said on SEN’s ‘Kick Off with Brandy and Jimmy’.
“But late yesterday the goal posts changed in terms of Sam’s camp allegedly asking for a little bit more money and the Roosters were having none of it.
“They were already frustrated by the negotiations because they already felt like they’d given Sam a really good offer… it looks like that situation is just blowing up spectacularly and we know Nick Politis can blacklist agents.
“And there’s no doubt he’s absolutely frustrated by Clinton Schifcofske and Sam Walker’s management camp.”
Nick Politis has told the Roosters to tear up their Sam Walker offer.Source: Supplied
Loyalty is another key factor when it comes to negotiations with the Roosters according to former player Chad Townsend.
“I feel like if you’re loyal to the Roosters, they reward you. They’ll be loyal back,” he explained on The Chad Townsend show.
“If Walker goes on a 10-year deal and spends his career there, they’ll give him an advisor role after he’s done and he could have a nice, cozy career after he’s done playing footy.”
However, he also empathised with Walker’s situation, explaining players like Walker can sometimes be left frustrated for taking less than they could earn on the open market.
“When you stay at a club, you kind of take a little bit less to stay. That’s part of the relationship. When you’re a player, you want to take an amount that you’re happy with because if you’re happy and you feel valued and wanted and paid at the right amount, you’re happy with that,” he said.
“But if you feel like you’ve signed a contract when you’re like, ‘Man, I could have got more. I wish I got more’, that can kind of tick a few players off.
“I’m not saying that’s the case for Sam Walker because I think he should be well remunerated for the season he’s had, but it’s also interesting to see how the Roosters go through their negotiations.”
Sam Walker. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
IS HISTORY REPEATING FOR THE ROOSTERS?
We’ve seen this story unfold before.
Latrell Mitchell had cemented himself as a superstar centre during a glorious stint at the Roosters and his future was well and truly in the spotlight.
As November 1 neared in 2019, Mitchell had a contract offer on the table worth around $800,000 per-season which began in 2021.
As Mitchell put it, he then “said to Trent, ‘‘look, I want to go and explore my options, is that alright?’ and he’s like ‘mate, you’re entitled to it’.”
Sitting at the pub later that day, Mitchell then saw the news that the Roosters had pulled his contract offer, which was a “kick in the teeth”.
Similarly to the Walker situation, the club released a statement at 7pm which included only two lines, highlighting he “remains under contract” for the 2020 season.
But Mitchell secured a release in January, making a high-profile switch to the Rabbitohs.
That situation underlined the Roosters stance – no player is bigger than the club.
So when Sam Walker’s contract negotiations were initially stalled due to his management’s perceived value of their player, the Roosters were prepared to wait it out.
They eventually won a premiership and were happy to improve their offer, which would have made Walker the highest-paid player in the club’s history.
Until his management asked for another increase, which shaped as the final straw.
Reports have already emerged the Tricolours would be willing to let Walker leave with a year remaining on his deal – and history proves he could be headed for the exit.
Latrell Mitchell left the Roosters. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
IS THIS THE START OF A WILD NOVEMBER 1 LIKE NO OTHER?
The November 1 deadline isn’t even here yet and already two big names are officially free to negotiate with rival clubs.
It may be easy to forget given how unexpected the Walker news was, but the Raiders also pulled their offer to Hudson Young on Monday.
It just adds to the potential pool of superstars that could hit the open market by the end of this week, with foxsports.com.au breaking down the tiers of potential free agents from genuine cornerstone players in the mould of Walker to representative stars like Young.
They could just be the start too.
It also sounds like Cameron Munster could realistically be on the move. Herbie Farnworth has been linked with a big-money contract at the Roosters. Even Harry Grant, out of nowhere, is at least considering his future.
Sure, we may not have something to the level of Luka Doncic to the Lakers but this feels like the most unpredictable free agency period yet, especially with the looming threat of the Perth Bears and PNG Chiefs.
The Bears have the kind of money to compete with the Roosters for Walker’s signature, while the Chiefs have already proven themselves capable of landing big names.
Of course, the biggest name of them all is Nathan Cleary. He seems very likely to return to Penrith, especially when you consider this latest development with Walker gives rival teams another marquee halfback to target.
Bradman Best and Harry Grant could be targets for rival teams.Source: Supplied
But even the fact Cleary is set to hit November 1 is a big deal and Riccio predicted this latest Walker development could spark teams to be even more proactive in their roster planning moving forward.
“I think there’d be no more nervous people in the game than the heads of recruitment at football clubs and head coaches, because I think they are never more in danger of losing their star talent than right now and particularly on the back of the Sam Walker contract withdrawal,” Riccio said on SEN’s ‘The Front Office with Vossy’.
“Think about this. The premiership-winning team have a vacancy in their halves. There wouldn’t be a half in the game that wouldn’t think I wouldn’t mind playing at the Roosters behind that forward pack.
“Suddenly every rival coach and head of recruitment are looking at their own roster and going, ‘We better make sure we’re strong here as far as our halves talent is concerned. What’s their contract situation? Do we need to actually start negotiating and upgrading an extension effective immediately despite the fact that they’re not even off-contract until the end of 2028?’.
“One domino effect impacts the rest of the competition.”
Up until Monday night, the general expectation seemed to be that Walker would agree to a new deal with the Roosters before November 1.
Now, teams that hadn’t even considered a move for Walker may suddenly be at the very least intrigued to see what they can do.