SHOCKING NEWS UPDATE: $5.5 million reason Roosters’ rivals should be worried after..
$3.5 million reason Roosters’ rivals should be worried after Keary’s big call — Hoops
The sudden retirement of Roosters champion Luke Keary at the end of this season should have alarm bells ringing around every other NRL club.
The Sydney Roosters are going to be cashed-up given the departures of Keary, Joey Manu, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Joseph Suaalii and Angus Crichton.
Winger — and the club’s all-time leading try-scorer — Daniel Tupou is also off-contract at the end of this season.
By our rough calculations that should free up at least $5.5 million for the Roosters to upgrade existing players and then enter the NRL open market.
Sure the list of players who are officially off contract is currently thin but when it comes to the strong clubs like the Roosters, Penrith, Melbourne Storm and Brisbane there’s a long list of players wanting to get a start.
Young gun Central Coast product Sandon Smith looks a ready-made replacement for Keary but there’s still going to be a war chest to spend for the Chooks.
They’ve made some mistakes in the recruitment and retention space in recent years but we’re tipping they’ll get their next move right.
The Roosters were outstanding on Anzac Day with little general halfback Sam Walker putting on a clinic against a St George Illawarra side who failed to make it to the races.
Walsh’s fast feet change-of-direction and speed off the mark is the closest thing we can recall to a young Billy Slater.
Reynolds, even playing on one leg, pulled the strings perfectly including taking an intercept where he could literally hardly run.
Manly are building nicely and showed a variety of gears to overcome a 14-6 halftime deficit to overcome the Eels.
The Eels did get a rough call when Tommy Turbo was ruled onside and Will Penisini was sent to the sin bin but they were also horribly ill-disciplined in the second half.
Conceding an 8-0 penalty count complete with the Maika Sivo brain snap was all the invitation the Sea Eagles needed to notch a fifth win for the season and power to a 4-0 record at Fortress Four Pines Park.
The way the Sharks back-five went to work on the Raiders middle forwards was super impressive with Cronulla now sitting on top of the NRL ladder leading into a round nine local derby against arch-rivals St George Illawarra.
Nicho Hynes was on fire while the Sharks back-five did the bulk of the grunt work coming out of their own end.
We’ll get a true read on Cronulla after they face Melbourne, the Roosters and Penrith in rounds 10, 11 and 12.
The Dragons started in ominous touch but were quickly carved-up off the boot of Walker with the next test for the Roosters now coming in the form of heavyweight contenders the Brisbane Broncos.
The round nine clash against the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium is when we’ll get a true read on exactly where the Rooters are at.
Of course the Api Korisau no try was a shocking call for the Wests Tigers and proved again how the underdog sides often fail to get the rub of the green.
The week before it was the professional foul on Justin Olam where the Wests Tigers also copped the rough end of the pineapple.
In fairness the way Adam Reynolds and Reece Walsh were toying with the Tigers it wouldn’t have mattered in the long run.