Rising Roosters star Salesi Foketi says the relationship between the club and Sam Walker can be salvaged and could still lead to a deal being done after Monday night’s stunning contract breakdown.
His comments come after the Roosters pulled their multimillion-dollar offer to the premiership-winning halfback after contract negotiations with his management stalled.
The early indications are that Walker won’t be at the club beyond 2027 and could even leave in the coming weeks if he can strike a deal with another team.
But Foketi, who was speaking at a Tongan fan day in Sydney, hopes things can be resolved.
“Honestly, I just found out about it this morning,” he said.
“My wife actually texted me this morning because I’m off social media.
“It’s crazy. A lot can happen in 24 hours. Since the GF it’s been about four weeks, and a lot can happen.
“I’m very lucky that I get to leave that stuff in God’s hands. Whatever happens, happens.
“I think (it can be salvaged). Sammy is the person he is, and the club is as well. I think they can sort things out.”
The November 1 deadline is still a few days away but the drama has already started, with two of the biggest NRL stars set to leave their respective clubs.
Canberra pulled a record offer to Hudson Young on Monday afternoon after the injured edge forward missed a club-imposed deadline to agree to the new deal.
But that was only the entree for what was to come, with the Roosters dropping their shock statement that they too had withdrawn a monster offer to Walker.
“The Sydney Roosters have this evening advised the management of Sam Walker that the club’s offer for a contract extension beyond the 2027 season has been withdrawn after the parties were unable to reach an agreement on terms,” the statement released at 9.07pm read.
“The club remains focused on maintaining a premiership-winning roster, with all recruitment and retention decisions made to support the strength, balance and long-term success of the playing squad.”
Both parties had indicated that a deal was close to being finalised, but Walker’s future at the club now appears to be in tatters just weeks after he led them to premiership glory.
Walker, 24, had only made his Kangaroos debut the night before, with the halfback looking at a deal worth more than $4m to remain with the club who handed him his debut in 2021.
But negotiations collapsed on Monday which means rival clubs will go hard at the representative star who will attract massive offers.
The PNG Chiefs and the Brisbane Broncos will naturally be linked to Walker, while the Roosters will move fast to find a star replacement barring any stunning change of heart.
The pre-November 1 deadline news is a slap in the face for fans who have to hear players, agents and clubs tell them stories that seemingly change within hours.
It’s why there have been calls to scrap the system that allows players to sign with another club more than a year before they would play for them.
This year’s market frenzy is the craziest on record with the Bears and Chiefs in the mix, and this could only be the start with a stack of player movement on the cards.
Clubs will find it hard to compete with the tax-free incentives in PNG, with a record-breaking four-year deal worth a reported $4.4m not enough to convince Young to stay in the nation’s capital.
“After discussions with members of the board and senior management, the Canberra Raiders have withdrawn their latest contract offer to Hudson Young,” the statement read.
“Hudson has been and remains an extremely valuable member of the club since making his NRL debut in 2019 and has played more than 150 games for the Raiders.
“The club’s offer to Hudson and his management was intended to keep him at the Raiders for the rest of his career as an integral part of the club and a potential future leader.
“The offer that was made was the largest in club history. As a club, we believe we have done all we can to keep Hudson in Canberra.
“However, negotiations have been ongoing since June, and the club needed an answer before the end of October so they could plan for the future.
“Hudson remains contracted to the Raiders for the 2027 season, and we look forward to seeing him return for pre-season training.”
Originally published as ‘It’s crazy’: Teammate holds out hope that Sam Walker and the Roosters can work something out after contract shock