{"id":942694,"date":"2026-10-27T11:58:13","date_gmt":"2026-10-27T11:58:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/942694\/"},"modified":"2026-10-27T11:58:13","modified_gmt":"2026-10-27T11:58:13","slug":"nrl-2026-sam-walker-and-hudson-young-knock-back-monster-contracts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/942694\/","title":{"rendered":"NRL 2026: Sam Walker and Hudson Young knock back monster contracts"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\u2019s stunning contract breakdown. <\/p>\n

His comments come after the Roosters pulled their multimillion-dollar offer to the premiership-winning halfback after contract negotiations with his management stalled. <\/p>\n

The early indications are that Walker won\u2019t be at the club beyond 2027 and could even leave in the coming weeks if he can strike a deal with another team.<\/p>\n

But Foketi, who was speaking at a Tongan fan day in Sydney, hopes things can be resolved. <\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, I just found out about it this morning,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy wife actually texted me this morning because I\u2019m off social media.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s crazy. A lot can happen in 24 hours. Since the GF it\u2019s been about four weeks, and a lot can happen.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very lucky that I get to leave that stuff in God\u2019s hands. Whatever happens, happens.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think (it can be salvaged). Sammy is the person he is, and the club is as well. I think they can sort things out.\u201d <\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

But that was only the entree for what was to come, with the Roosters dropping their shock statement that they too had withdrawn a monster offer to Walker.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Sydney Roosters have this evening advised the management of Sam Walker that the club\u2019s offer for a contract extension beyond the 2027 season has been withdrawn after the parties were unable to reach an agreement on terms,\u201d the statement released at 9.07pm read.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both parties had indicated that a deal was close to being finalised, but Walker\u2019s future at the club now appears to be in tatters just weeks after he led them to premiership glory.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

But negotiations collapsed on Monday which means rival clubs will go hard at the representative star who will attract massive offers.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s capital. <\/p>\n

\u201cAfter discussions with members of the board and senior management, the Canberra Raiders have withdrawn their latest contract offer to Hudson Young,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n

\u201cHudson 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. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe club\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, negotiations have been ongoing since June, and the club needed an answer before the end of October so they could plan for the future.<\/p>\n

\u201cHudson remains contracted to the Raiders for the 2027 season, and we look forward to seeing him return for pre-season training.\u201d<\/p>\n

Originally published as \u2018It\u2019s crazy\u2019: Teammate holds out hope that Sam Walker and the Roosters can work something out after contract shock<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Rising Roosters star Salesi Foketi says the relationship between the club and Sam Walker can be salvaged 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