PVL backs tactical kick-off change to grow game<\/a><\/p>\n‘He’s in good shape for how old he is’ | 10:50<\/p>\n
7. MAX JORGENSEN<\/p>\n
After losing four quality star players to rugby union, could the Roosters strike back? <\/p>\n
Considered a generational rugby union talent, Max Jorgensen may be one of the best players in the current Wallabies side. However, that hasn\u2019t stopped links from emerging between him and the Roosters.<\/p>\n
The son of former Eastern Suburbs winger Peter Jorgensen, Max has been linked to the Roosters on two previous occasions in 2022 and 2024 but decided against a potential move to remain in the 15-man code.<\/p>\n
Off-contract at the end of 2026, Jorgensen is likely to stay in union until the 2027 Rugby World Cup but has yet to confirm where his long-term future lies.<\/p>\n
Still only 21, the 19-time capped Wallaby may decide to explore his options afterwards and the Roosters loom as the ideal destination if he turns down a reported five-year Rugby Australia deal that has been tabled to him.<\/p>\n
\u201cA home World Cup is the stuff you dream of. It\u2019s two years away, so hopefully I can just play good footy every year, and if selection for that comes up, I\u2019d be very happy,\u201d he said in 2025.<\/p>\n
Contract Status: 2026<\/p>\n
Wallaby Max Jorgensen\u2019s dad is Roosters royalty.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
6. ZAC LOMAX<\/p>\n
It is public knowledge that Zac Lomax is more than likely to end up at the Melbourne Storm ahead of the 2026 season, but could the Roosters swoop on him at the last minute?<\/p>\n
Despite what you believe about his actions to agitate for a release from the Dragons and Eels in back-to-back seasons, there is no denying that Lomax is a premium outside back of the NRL and can change a match in an instant.<\/p>\n
The Australian and NSW Blues winger could easily slot into the Tricolours\u2019 backline and would create a formidable combination with Billy Smith, Daniel Tupou and Robert Toia.<\/p>\n
Depending on how many years he joins the Storm for, he could very easily be targeted as a replacement for Nawaqanitawase or even later when veteran Daniel Tupou decides to hang up the boots on his playing career.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s public knowledge there\u2019s been conversations between Melbourne and us,\u201d Lomax\u2019s manager Steve Gillis told Code Sports\u2019 Fanatics TV.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a matter of trying to navigate the termination document with the Eels and how we may or may not be able to open the door for Zac to continue. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe good news is the NRL wants the best players in the world playing in the competition. They can see and accept that. <\/p>\n
\u201cPeter V\u2019landys said, \u2018Yes, he\u2019s welcome back\u2019. I think that\u2019s fantastic \u2026 I think common sense will prevail and something will get sorted.\u201d<\/p>\n
Contract: Unsigned<\/p>\n
NAS & Burgess clash post fight! | 00:16<\/p>\n
5. KOTONI STAGGS<\/p>\n
The Sydney Roosters have one of the best-built teams in the NRL, but the departures of Joseph Manu, Joseph Suaalii and Mark Nawaqanitawase have forced the club to increase its depth in the outside backs.<\/p>\n
Enter, Kotoni Staggs.<\/p>\n
While he is secured at the Brisbane Broncos for the next three seasons on a multimillion-dollar contract, his star power is likely to catch the attention of the Roosters as they look to add some explosiveness to their outside backs.<\/p>\n
Previously on the Roosters\u2019 radar before he decided to sign an extension to remain in Brisbane, the Roosters may decide to play the waiting game and secure him in 2029 as he enters the prime of his career.<\/p>\n
The rise of Ezra Mam, Reece Walsh and others means the Broncos are likely to lose some quality players in the coming years due to lingering salary cap issues.<\/p>\n
Staggs\u2019 Broncos teammate Payne Haas is another option that the Roosters could target but has openly stated that he is extremely unlikely to leave Red Hill and is set to only do so for a move to rugby union if that comes in the future.<\/p>\n
Contract: 2028<\/p>\n
4. ETHAN STRANGE<\/p>\n
Since debuting in 2023, Ethan Stange has established himself as one of rugby league\u2019s brightest young prospects and is coming off a standout campaign, which culminated in him being called into the Kangaroos squad.<\/p>\n
Although he is contracted with the Raiders until the end of 2028 and is considered a key piece of their future, don\u2019t be surprised if the Sydney Roosters decide to make a play for his services once he enters the open market in November 2027.<\/p>\n
The Roosters will have the funds to bring their former junior back to his roots and have the added bonus of already having father John Strange and sister Jasmine Strange on their books, which could potentially sway his decision even more.<\/p>\n
A member of the Roosters Under-19s SG Ball Cup, he already has a close relationship with young guns Robert Toia, Benaiah Ioelu and Salesi Foekti and could easily be used in either the halves with Sam Walker or in the centres.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s got qualities of a representative player already as a young person. I don\u2019t say that outlandishly,\u201d Raiders coach Ricky Stuart said on Strange in 2025.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor a young player such as Ethan to be able to give off energy to his teammates, it\u2019s similar to Laurie Daley when he was a young player.\u201d<\/p>\n
Contract Status: 2028<\/p>\n
Ethan Strange has history with the Roosters.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
3. JACOB PRESTON<\/p>\n
Over the course of three seasons and 60 matches in the NRL, Jacob Preston has gone from being a relative unknown to one of the best back-rowers in the competition and even found himself being selected in the Kangaroos squad to face England.<\/p>\n
Still at the start of his career, the 24-year-old has already shown that he has a long future in the NRL and is destined to be one of the stars of the competition.<\/p>\n
And while he is likely to remain in Belmore, could he be swayed by his former team?.<\/p>\n
A former Under-21s Jersey Flegg Cup captain of the Roosters, Preston played alongside the likes of Hugo Savala at the Tricolours and has moulded into the ideal future target for the Roosters.<\/p>\n
One of the few players that the Roosters probably regret not keeping, Preston would be able to fill the vacant back-row spot left by Angus Crichton with ease due to his strong ability to run holes and strong defensive style.<\/p>\n
Contract: 2027<\/p>\n
2. TINO FA\u2019SUAMALEAUI <\/p>\n
While most of the players on this list are already tied down to their current team for another two or three seasons, Tino Fa\u2019asuamaleaui could be at a new club as early as next season.<\/p>\n
Although he is contracted with the Gold Coast Titans until the end of 2033, Fa\u2019asuamaleaui has multiple player options in his deal, which could force the Titans to see him walk out the door sooner than expected.<\/p>\n
Rumoured to be interested in the Australian and Queensland forward, the Roosters are in the market for a hard-hitting forward with experience and there is no one better available than the Titans skipper.<\/p>\n
Seeking as much as $1.5 million a season, the Tricolours do have the funds available to bring him in but will face heavy competition from the Canterbury Bulldogs, Melbourne Storm and Perth Bears.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do really want to stay at the Titans, but I want to see things improve around the place and that\u2019s (by) winning,\u201d he told Code Sports in October.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have tried to do that for five years, to try to win, and there have been a lot of ups and downs. I want to see improvements throughout the whole club and see it heading in a good direction. <\/p>\n
\u2018I love the Titans and I want to win there and change (the club).\u201cI would love to stay but an NRL career is so short. I played three years at the Storm and am going into my sixth season at the Titans \u2013 how many more years do I have in me?\u201d<\/p>\n
Contract: 2026<\/p>\n
Bears roster build is solid but boring? | 07:08<\/p>\n
1. KALYN PONGA<\/p>\n
Planning for the future, who is better to replace James Tedesco in the No.1 jersey than Kalyn Ponga?<\/p>\n
While youngster Rex Bassingthwaite is deemed the long-term successor to Tedesco, at this point in time, Ponga is on another level and is easily one of the best fullbacks in the NRL on his day.<\/p>\n
A ten-time representative for the Queensland Maroons, Ponga has that X-factor that Tedesco has, and has previously shown he can be near untouchable in attack with his agility, speed and expert stepping ability.<\/p>\n
Not only do the Roosters have the funds to snare the 2023 Dally M winner, but he has also found himself linked with the Tricolours over the past 12 months as he continues to chase his maiden premiership.<\/p>\n
Likely to be on the lookout for a new team as the Knights undergo their own rebuild under Justin Holbrook, the fullback is free to speak to rival teams from as early as November and could very well link up with them sooner than expected.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Roosters are definitely looking at trying to get Ponga there from 2028-onwards and it\u2019s all part of a bigger rebuild at that club,\u201d veteran journalist Andrew Webster said in March, 2025.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf he can\u2019t get it done with Dylan Brown there in 2026 and 2027 he might want to have a look at being part of a revolution with the Roosters from 2028-onwards.\u201d<\/p>\n
Contract: 2027<\/p>\n
Kalyn Ponga has been linked to the Roosters in 2028.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Over the past two seasons, the Sydney Roosters have farewelled 14 players, including international stars, premiership winners and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":427262,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[10748,64,63,689,219794,66965,4442,27931,14868,206220,651,4428,217437,7622,86123,11101,12732,4581,1208,222174,2057,21683,224260,219492,4612,224256,11402,224257,183129,4592,4415,180208,96069,211637,173712,72590,6406,222177,647,4466,32917,224261,224253,224252,220750,673,3583,677,13390,224258,62891,16684,32911,224251,11242,224259,701,13385,13391,44330,7291,4542,224263,159,224254,224262,2633,224255,7889,4478,224249,85,72910,219557,1080,224250,219559,145603,55620,13125,660,71925,68830,44325],"class_list":{"0":"post-427261","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-andrew-webster","9":"tag-au","10":"tag-australia","11":"tag-australia-and-new-zealand","12":"tag-bears-roster-build","13":"tag-belmore","14":"tag-billy-smith","15":"tag-bondi","16":"tag-brandon-mychal-smith","17":"tag-brightest-young-prospects","18":"tag-brisbane","19":"tag-brisbane-broncos","20":"tag-call-leaves-casualty","21":"tag-canterbury-bulldogs","22":"tag-contract-status","23":"tag-cooper-cronk","24":"tag-dan-ginnane","25":"tag-daniel-tupou","26":"tag-england","27":"tag-ethan-lee-chalk","28":"tag-europe","29":"tag-ezra-mam","30":"tag-fan-day","31":"tag-george-burgess","32":"tag-gold-coast-titans","33":"tag-hangover-risk","34":"tag-hugo-savala","35":"tag-ideal-destination","36":"tag-international-stars","37":"tag-jacob-preston","38":"tag-james-tedesco","39":"tag-japanese-rugby-union","40":"tag-jared-waerea-hargreaves","41":"tag-jeremy-latimore","42":"tag-joseph-manu","43":"tag-justin-holbrook","44":"tag-laurie-daley","45":"tag-lee-chalk","46":"tag-melbourne","47":"tag-melbourne-storm","48":"tag-michael-ennis","49":"tag-million-dollar-war-chest","50":"tag-multimillion-dollar-contract","51":"tag-multiple-player-options","52":"tag-nas-burgess","53":"tag-new-south-wales","54":"tag-northern-europe","55":"tag-oceania","56":"tag-payne-haas","57":"tag-peter-jorgensen","58":"tag-players-leave","59":"tag-premiership-contenders","60":"tag-premiership-winners","61":"tag-public-knowledge","62":"tag-quality-players","63":"tag-quality-star-players","64":"tag-queensland","65":"tag-queensland-maroons","66":"tag-reece-walsh","67":"tag-representative-player","68":"tag-ricky-stuart","69":"tag-robert-toia","70":"tag-roosters-million-dollar-war","71":"tag-rugby-league","72":"tag-rugby-signings","73":"tag-rugby-signings-shake","74":"tag-rugby-union","75":"tag-rugby-union-talent","76":"tag-salary-cap","77":"tag-sam-walker","78":"tag-signings-targets","79":"tag-sports","80":"tag-star-players","81":"tag-steve-gillis","82":"tag-sydney-roosters","83":"tag-ten-time-representative","84":"tag-termination-document","85":"tag-things-improve","86":"tag-ups-and-downs","87":"tag-veteran-journalist","88":"tag-victoria","89":"tag-war-chest","90":"tag-young-person","91":"tag-young-player"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/427261","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=427261"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/427261\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/427262"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=427261"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=427261"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=427261"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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