Their 2025 season was supposed to be an absolute write-off. A club that lost the amount of talent they did prior to the campaign starting, as well as suffering through key injuries for half of the campaign, was supposed to see them in the mix for the wooden spoon.
Trent Robinson, who has at times come under fire for his methods, found a way, though, coaching the side to the top eight, where they played finals footy.
They couldn’t overcome the Cronulla Sharks in the opening week of the knockout rounds, but it was still a formative season for the Roosters, where a host of young talent found their way to permanent first-grade, and with a balanced, steady roster moving forward, there is little reason to suggest the tri-colours will head in the wrong direction anytime soon.
The Roosters have, in recent seasons, been a team who have left roster building until late in the piece, but in a significant change, the Bondi-based outfit already has 20 players locked up for 2027.
It doesn’t leave them with a great deal of wiggle room when it comes to additions, but they will still have areas to improve, while the future of James Tedesco may be the question that ultimately shapes the way they build the final ten spots of their roster for the 2027 campaign.
Rex Bassinghtwaighte, Egan Butcher, Nat Butcher, Lindsay Collins, Jake Elliott, Salesi Foketi, Benaiah Ioelu, Spencer Leniu, Taylor Losalu, Junior Pauga, Victor Radley, Reece Robson, Toby Rodwell, Billy Smith, Robert Toia, Junior Tupou, De La Salle Va’a, Sam Walker, Connor Watson, Naufahu Whyte
Off-contract at the end of 2026
Angus Crichton, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Hugo Savala, Sandon Smith, Blake Steep, James Tedesco, Daniel Tupou, Xavier Va’a, Siua Wong
Current best 17 for 2027
1. Rex Bassingthwaighte
2. Junior Tupou
3. Billy Smith
4. Robert Toia
5. Junior Pauga
6. Toby Rodwell
7. Sam Walker
8. Lindsay Collins
9. Reece Robson
10. Naufahu Whyte
11. Victor Radley
12. Nat Butcher
13. Connor Watson
Interchange
14. Benaiah Ioelu
15. Egan Butcher
16. Salesi Foketi
17. Spencer Leniu
Not in 17: Jake Elliott, Taylor Losalu, De La Salle Va’a
As mentioned above, James Tedesco’s contract is the big one that will decide the route they need to go in.
The star fullback was recently quoted as suggesting he wants to play for another three or four years, but that has been challenged by ex-players, including Cameron Smith, who suggested it’ll happen quickly for Tedesco once he starts to lose his speed.
Fullback is a demanding position, and Tedesco is booked for stem cell surgery this offseason in his knees. That’s not the end of his career, but Father Time will get him eventually. It’s for that reason the Roosters may not actually know whether their club captain and champion fullback is continuing his career until well past the November 1 deadline.
That’s going to make recruitment tricky for the Roosters who have few other issues, but given backs are likely to be where they focus their attention as they look to replace the likely to retire Daniel Tupou and departing Mark Nawaqanitawase (who is heading back to rugby union for the 2027 World Cup), they may be able to cover for a potential Tedesco retirement while signing for other positions.
Elsewhere, the halves are a question if they can’t re-sign Hugo Savala, while the forwards look solid, but may yet be able to do with an added recruit or two.
Option 1: Selwyn Cobbo (The Dolphins)
Intriguingly, Cobbo does not appear anywhere else in this series, which is maybe a knock on the way his form eroded at the Broncos throughout 2025.
The club not fighting for his signature as he prepares to join the Dolphins – where he is no guarantee of landing a starting spot – is another knock against Cobbo, who at just 23 years of age already has six State of Origin appearances for Queensland.
A one-year deal for the Redcliffe-based club, though, means Cobbo can hit the free agency market again immediately from November 1, and the Roosters could make a play for him if he is still without a contract after the season starts.
Like every club, they will likely wait to have a look at Cobbo’s attitude and form, but his enormous talent and potential already have 49 tries to his name at NRL level.
Able to play wing, centre and fullback, he fits right into what the Roosters could be looking for on the open market. Versatility and the ability to replace James Tedesco if it’s needed at the end of 2026, or indeed further down the track.
The Roosters do have a track record of getting the best out of players, and the thought of Cobbo at the tri-colours is a tempting one.
Option 2: Jeral Skelton (Wests Tigers)
There is some more versatility here with our second pick for the Roosters, with Jeral Skelton able to play at both centre and on the wing.
But away from the positions he plays, he hits like a solid brick wall.
Skelton is an immovable object at both ends of the park. The last player anyone in the outside backs wants to tackle, or indeed run at, Skelton has impressed during his time with the Bulldogs and now the Tigers.
The Roosters need outside back replacements, and given they build their game on power, attacking skill and strong starts from the back with big running metre counts, Skelton could be an excellent, and more importantly, cheap option for the tri-colours.
Option 3: Jaxon Purdue (North Queensland Cowboys)
One of the key themes here, as the Roosters look to complete their squad for 2027, has been versatility.
Players who can slot in across the backline, with real questions around which players will still be at Bondi in 2027, and which youngsters will kick on throughout 2026 to make a spot their own.
That said, there are few more versatile players on the open market than Jaxon Purdue.
The Cowboys back can play in the halves, in the centres, and probably wouldn’t look overly out of place at the back either if it was needed.
He is still developing in his career, but has already been outstanding for Todd Payten’s side.
He is going to hit November 1 as one of the best options on the market, and could be looked at by several teams, including the Perth Bears.
Option 4: Will Warbrick (Melbourne Storm)
As we touched on, the fact of the matter for the Roosters is that they are going to be short on the wings come 2027.
They may be able to look internally, but there is almost no doubt they will head to the open market for reinforcements.
Will Warbrick could well present an excellent option for the tri-colours.
This is a side who have already found enormous success from rugby union, with Mark Nawaqanitawase excelling throughout 2025.
Warbrick is a different type of player with a strong ball carry, but he has speed and finishing ability, and unlike Nawaqanitawase, the Roosters won’t have to start from scratch, with the New Zealander working his way through at the Storm over the last two years.
What the Roosters lose with Daniel Tupou’s likely retirement is nearly unreplaceable, but Warbrick would at the very least take away some of the concerns around running metres and getting sets off to a fast start.
Option 5: Scott Sorensen (Penrith Panthers)
We are going to include one forward on this list for the Roosters in the shape of New Zealand international Scott Sorensen, who appears unlikely to re-sign at the Penrith Panthers.
Sorensen is a name that has come up time and time again throughout this series, and with good reason.
He is a hard-hitting forward who can play in the middle or on the edge, and brings enormous experience.
He is the type of player you need if you’re going to win premierships. No-nonsense, no fuss, and very rarely makes mistakes at either end of the park.
Sorensen might now be 32, but there should still be a fairly substantial fight for his services heading into 2027, where he will likely sign the final contract of his career.
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