Freddy backs shock pursuit of superstar as Chooks confirm Walker’s gone
Roosters legend Brad Fittler says a pursuit of Nathan Cleary is now “viable” after the club cut ties with halfback Sam Walker.
In a bombshell development that stunned the NRL this week, billionaire Chooks chairman Nick Politis sensationally withdrew a contract extension for the 24-year-old after his management backflipped on a handshake agreement to ask for more money on Monday.
Sam Walker looks set to leave the Roosters. Getty Images
Walker remains contracted for 2027 and it seems he will return to Bondi to play next season with the Tricolours, after breaking bread with Politis and coach Trent Robinson with a phone call on Wednesday.
But any chance he had of remaining a Rooster beyond next season appears dead in the water, after Politis told News Corp he has no plans to return to the negotiating table.
Fittler, who captained the Roosters to a premiership in 2002 and later coached the team, can understand why Politis took such a hardline stance.
“The club always comes before the player. Always,” Fittler told nine.com.au on Friday.
“When it gets confused, that’s when clubs fall apart. And that is what Nick (Politis) understands better than anyone, is the Roosters always come before any player.”
The imminent departure of Walker means the Roosters will be on the lookout for a new No.7.
They have been heavily linked to Cowboys playmaker Tom Dearden, while the likes of champion halves Cleary and Cameron Munster also come off contract on Sunday and are up for grabs for season 2028.
Four-time Panthers premiership superstar Cleary has refused to commit his future to Penrith, and his father Ivan will step down as the team’s coach at the end of next season, leading to speculation he may leave the foot of the mountains.
A move across town to Sydney’s east is a very real option, according to Fittler.
“(The Roosters have) shed six players and also had $1.5m in their recruitment pool for Walker, so Nathan Cleary becomes very viable, if he gets to November 1,” he said.
“Their motto for a long time has been play for premierships. Sometimes a player can come along and make that difference and win a grand final.”
Brad Fittler is a Roosters icon. nna\damien.mccartney
The Roosters have a history of bringing in an experienced halfback and instantly winning an NRL premiership.
Cooper Cronk joined from Melbourne in 2018 and won two premierships before retiring, and Daly Cherry-Evans played one season with the Chooks this year, winning the grand final earlier this month alongside Walker.
If the Roosters want to look within the club for Walker’s replacement, Fittler believes 20-year-old Toby Rodwell can become a quality NRL halfback. Hugo Savala will also assume a full-time halves role next season.
As for Walker, he is sure to have plenty of suitors come knocking as soon as he hits the open market on Sunday.
The incoming PNG Chiefs could offer him upwards of $1.5 million a season. The offer his management knocked back on Monday was reportedly worth $1.2m a season, with ratchet clauses that would have seen his salary increase in line with the competition’s rising cap.
“From Sammy’s point of view, he is a pretty in-demand player. I’m assuming there was a plan B because it seemed to be a decent offer for what he’s done in the game at the moment, and what other players are getting,” Fittler said.
“Maybe there was a plan B the whole time.”
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