Sam Walker warns it could take time for his all-star halves partnership with gun Sydney Roosters recruit Daly Cherry-Evans to click.
The additions of ex-Manly captain Cherry-Evans and NSW hooker Reece Robson to a Roosters team that played finals last year lifts the side into premiership calculations for 2026.
The new halves combination appears among the most exciting in the league, with no man in history starting more NRL games at halfback than premiership winner Cherry-Evans (352).
Walker, 23, finished the 2025 season as one of the NRL’s form playmakers on return from an anterior cruciate ligament injury and still has time ahead to improve.
“The sky’s the limit for Sammy,” said Roosters captain James Tedesco.
“You’ve got to remember these halves, they take a while to mature.
“(Nathan) Cleary, Mitch Moses, all these key guys find their stride later into their career.”
Walker and Cherry-Evans looked good sharing the field for 50 minutes of the Roosters’ pre-season loss to Parramatta.
But even without such a significant change as the addition of Cherry-Evans, the Roosters have become accustomed to building into the season in recent years.
The Tricolours were 3-5 and 4-4 across the opening two months of the 2024 and 2025 campaigns, respectively, but went on to play finals in both.
Ahead of Friday’s season opener against the Warriors, Walker is urging patience with the new halves pairing.
“Hopefully it clicks straight away but we know most likely it’s going to take a little bit of time,” he said.
“But as long as we work hard at our fundamentals, work hard with what we can control at the start of the year, that’s going to be a really important step for us to win games while we’re still building our combination.”
Cherry-Evans made a name for himself as a chief organiser at the Sea Eagles, prized for his leadership and kicking game.
But Walker will wear the No.7 jersey this year and expects he will still take on some duties with the boot. His short kicking game is one of the NRL’s best.
“At different times, we’ll share the load a fair bit,” Walker said.
“We’ve both got the freedom to roam around, I won’t be stuck on the field. I know as a footballer, I can’t do that.
“He’s very similar as well, he knows he can’t be hemmed down on one side.”
And while Walker has already been picking Cherry-Evans’ brain this pre-season, he’s hopeful the growth can be mutual.
“I want to be able to assist his game as much as he’ll assist mine,” Walker said.
“I was really confident last year, I think ‘Chez’ is just going to help that heaps.
“For myself, I feel very free in my game, I feel very comfortable in the way that I want to play and the football that I want to play.”
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