Reigning premiers the Sydney Roosters are about to strike a hammer blow to the rest of the NRL, with Sam Walker on the verge of re-signing, and the club now leading the hunt for international stars Herbie Farnworth and Stefano Utoikamanu for 2028 onward.
Should the tricolours pull off this trio of signings (and re-signings), it would be among the best offseasons any NRL club has ever staged — yes, including the Dragons spree.
- DON’T MISS OUR NRL TIPS – Click here to download our app on iPhone
- WIN CASH IN OUR NRL COMPS – Click here to download our app on Android
- CHECK OUT OUR NRL MATCH CENTRE: View stats, odds, betting insights, team lists, tips here
Fresh off winning the premiership in early October, Sydney has been licking their lips about how they can bolster their roster. Daly Cherry-Evans, Angus Crichton, Connor Watson, Daniel Tupou, Spencer Leniu, and Mark Nawaqanitawase have all headed out the door, leaving the club with a genuine war chest.
Walker is the top priority, with this Sporting Base writer hearing that the 24-year-old is quite close to signing a deal that would keep him in Bondi until 2030. He would earn around $1.3 million a season, plus gets a loan car.
Farnworth and Utoikamanu will each be worth around $1 million, but the Roosters can certainly afford that with Nawaqanitawase, Crichton, and “DCE” all off the books this year.
There will be some challengers, of course. While Walker hasn’t spoken to any other organisations yet — and only Papua New Guinea would really tempt him — there is a huge rush to speak to Utoikamanu. Melbourne especially are desperate to keep him, though a salary cap squeeze could put paid to that idea.
And for Herbie, the Redcliffe top brass want to keep him as a headlining player long into the future, while the Titans, Dragons, and Eels are expected to put something in front of the Englishman once he’s able to speak to other clubs in November.
The Dragons are expected to keep chasing Illawarra junior Jack Bostock harder, and that may give us a clue to how it all unfolds — should St George Illawarra land the Kangaroos breakout, the Dolphins will be able to keep Herbie, and then the Roosters can put max cash in front of Utoikamanu for 2028 onward.
All of this should play out from November 1, when NRL free agency truly begins. Only the Walker re-signing can happen before then, so keep an eye peeled on that one first.
Are you reading on our app? Download now for the best Sporting Base experience.
