A young Sydney Roosters forward is set to be squeezed out of the club and has already been linked with another team as he looks to resurrect his playing career after a long list of injuries.
The Roosters will welcome in State of Origin representatives Daly Cherry-Evans and Reece Robson ahead of next season, but their arrivals have caused further issues in the club’s salary cap as they look to hold onto some of their younger talent such as Hugo Savala.
With multiple players able to speak with rival teams now that the November 1 deadline has passed, a young forward has become the first player who looks set to be squeezed out of the Bondi-based side.
Despite being under contract for another 12 months, The Courier-Mail reports that Xavier Va’a has been shopped around to multiple NRL teams and could be at a new club in either the 2026 or 2027 season, having failed to cement a regular spot in the Roosters line-up.
It is understood that one of these teams is the Gold Coast Titans, who recently hired Sharks assistant coach Josh Hannay as their new head coach for the 2026 NRL season.
A former Under-19s Queensland captain, the 21-year-old made his debut in Round 12 this year against the Cronulla Sharks after spending four years in the NSW Cup where he has been limited to only 44 appearances due to injury and other reasons.
The older brother of De La Salle Va’a, he is a towering figure in the middle of the field and looks to resurrect his career, which saw him as one of the brightest middle forwards during his younger years at the Brisbane Broncos Academy.
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