Sign up today.<\/a><\/p>\nWalker has reportedly received inquiries from three other NRL clubs since the Roosters removed their three-year off to the 24-year-old last month.<\/p>\n
He has one year left on his current deal with the Roosters, but the premiers are reportedly willing to part ways before the 2027 season.<\/p>\n
That stance has created the possibility of Walker wearing Wallaby gold in a home World Cup.<\/p>\n
![\"Sam](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/18b8b80cb4b9803fa962dbf5132cb87a.jpeg\")
Sam Walker plays halfback for the Kangaroos. Picture: NRL ImagesSource: Supplied<\/p>\n
Walker\u2019s management said they have not received a formal approach from Rugby Australia, but they did say a potential move will be considered following the end of the current Rugby League World Cup.<\/p>\n
\u201cSam would look at the opportunity, yes,\u201d Walker\u2019s manager Clinton Schifcofske, who defected to rugby from the NRL during his playing days, said.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo one has reached out from rugby (Australia) but it\u2019s not something Sam would rule out.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was a star in rugby as a teenager – he was an absolute freak. In rugby, you can make a few mistakes and have a bit more freedom, which suits Sam\u2019s style.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rugby Australia boss Phil Waugh was asked about acquiring Walker last month and gave an emphatic response.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been consistent on this, about creating an environment where we want players, as many great players as we can, coming into rugby,\u201d the former Wallabies captain said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve said it a million times, the door\u2019s open for athletes who want to achieve something great.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s one that\u2019s obviously achieved great things in rugby league.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith his skill set, he\u2019s got the capability to play both codes at the highest level.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sam Walker. Picture: NRL PhotosSource: Supplied<\/p>\n
Rugby Australia tried to sign Walker when he was only 16.<\/p>\n
He represented the Queensland schoolboys and played in Ipswich Grammar\u2019s first XV for three straight years before setting his sights on the NRL.<\/p>\n
An offer to switch codes was also put to Walker in 2019 when he left the Brisbane Broncos, but instead joined the Roosters.<\/p>\n
Code Sports reported that this time around he could be offered around $800,000 a season from Rugby Australia, if he decided to join former Roosters teammate Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii.<\/p>\n
\u201cSam has actually played the game,\u201d said Schifcofske, who played 23 games for the Queensland Reds after his code switch from Canberra.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the most enjoyable things for me was watching Sam playing rugby at \u2018Ippy\u2019 Grammar. I enjoyed watching him more in rugby than when he was playing league at the (Ipswich) Jets.\u201d<\/p>\n
Schifcofske\u2019s comments are similar to those made by Walker\u2019s father, Ben, before his State of Origin debut earlier this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe spoke to rugby when Sam was 16,\u201d he told Code Sports.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe did his due diligence pretty firmly.<\/p>\n
\u201cRugby Australia were definitely one option, they were keen to sign him.<\/p>\n
\u201cSam was a very good union player, but he\u2019s always been a league kid and we felt at the time the Roosters would give him the best opportunity for success.\u201d<\/p>\n
Roosters halfback Sam Walker. Picture: NRL ImagesSource: Supplied<\/p>\n
It would not be the first time that NRL stars have jumped ship for a Rugby World Cup.<\/p>\n
Wendell Sailor, Lote Tuqiri and Mat Rogers all did so in 2003, while Walker\u2019s Roosters teammates Angus Crichton and Mark Nawaqanitawase returned to rugby last month after their grand final victory.<\/p>\n
There is also the possibility that Walker could follow the lead of Schifcofske\u2019s client Zac Lomax.<\/p>\n
He signed a $350,000-a-year-deal with Rugby Australia earlier this year after a proposed move to the rebel R360 competition collapsed.<\/p>\n
But Lomax will return to the NRL with new franchise the PNG Chiefs when they enter the competition in 2028.<\/p>\n
Chiefs\u2019 coach Willie Peters has confirmed his interest in Walker and reports suggest he could pocket $1.2 million-a-year tax-free with PNG.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the issue for next year,\u201d Schifcofske said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know how many clubs can afford him. No one has a lot of space in their salary cap, so it\u2019s going to be difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sydney Roosters premiership player Sam Walker is reportedly open to a code switch with an eye on representing…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":956637,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[568],"tags":[64,63,761,762,158,85],"class_list":["post-956636","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nrl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-national-rugby-league","tag-nationalrugbyleague","tag-nrl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/956636","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=956636"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/956636\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/956637"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=956636"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=956636"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=956636"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}