Roosters React to Brown Snub; Souths Surge as Star Loses 11kg

Like it or lump it, the Sydney Roosters have no one to blame but themselves for the reputation that they are more than happy to buy their way out of trouble.

So good on Nick Politis for coming out so quick this last week and shooting down rumours linking Parramatta’s Dylan Brown to Bondi.

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While Politis is obviously fed up with players managers as he put it “just trying to create interest”, many also saw it as a statement from the chairman about wanting to publicly back the club’s own production line of talent.

And this is where it will really get interesting to see how the Roosters play it from here.

Not just in the next few months but the next few seasons when the likes of Kalyn Ponga and Lachlan Galvin could also be up for grabs.

Of course, Politis along with coach Trent Robinson was the driving force behind establishing the Roosters Academy following a visit to Barcelona FC in 2020.

That was after the Chooks won their last premiership and were over in the UK for the World Club Challenge.

The idea was to establish a program that would not only develop a conga line of future first graders, but give them the life skills to become better people.

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But it’s no use putting in the hard work if the club continues to go over the top of their own juniors and buy from the top shelf elsewhere.

They did so recently signing NSW Origin hooker Reece Robson to replace Brandon Smith (who was another marquee signing), even though they have some fine young dummy halves coming through their own system.

In fairness to the Roosters, they did let go of some serious depth last year with the departure of Joey Manu, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Luke Keary, Joseph Suaalii, Sitili Tupouniua and Terrell May.

But while many are predicting the Roosters could struggle this year on the back of those huge losses, this will also be a tremendous opportunity for Robinson to rebuild from the ground up, and silence his critics by showing how he can reinvent the Roosters similar to what the Panthers have done without the club buying its way to success.

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The Roosters have a stack of young players coming through their Academy right now who could all develop into long-term first graders.

The list includes Salesi Foketi (backrow), Siua Wong (backrow), Jake Elliott (five-eighth), Rob Toia (centre), Toby Rodwell (halfback), Benaiah Ioelu (hooker), Tyler Moriarty (hooker), Blake Steep (lock), De La Salle Va’a (prop) and his older brother Xavier Va’a (prop).

Of those eight players, Wong, Steep, De La Salle Va’a and Toia look ready to challenge for the top 17 right now.

Former NSW under 19s dummy half Moriarty is another who could get a crack sooner rather than later with Smith out injured and Connor Watson at dummy half.

Young NSW under 19 five-eighth Jake Elliott also has the talent to emerge as Keary’s long-term replacement.

Of course, the Roosters picked up former Cowboys veteran Chad Townsend for security to partner Sandon Smith in Walker’s injury absence for the first half of the season.

But Elliott is a gifted and tough running five-eighth who displayed as much talent as Ethan Strange when both were emerging through the age groups on the NSW Central Coast.

While Elliott is a year younger than Strange, the irony here is that Strange was another former Roosters development player who had to move to Canberra to get his shot.

If the Roosters are fair dinkum about proving their Academy has been worth the investment, the message to Brown won’t be the last.

RAIDERS’ BEST YOUNG HALVES SINCE STUART AND DALEY

Speaking of the Raiders and the opportunity presented to Ethan Strange last year following Jack Wighton’s departure to Souths.

There is also no overstating the excitement surrounding boom Parramatta recruit Ethan Sanders in the nation’s capital.

The former gun junior will make his club debut in Saturday’s opening trial against the Panthers.

In no way is this intended to downplay Jamal Fogarty’s importance to the Raiders in 2025.

But while Fogarty is assured the No 7 jumper for round one in Vegas (providing he stays fit), there is also no ignoring Sanders and Strange are the club’s long-term future.

In fact, I’d go as far as to say together they have the talent to be Canberra’s best young halves pairing since Ricky Stuart and Laurie Daley emerged way back in the late 1980s.

Yes, it’s a massive statement.

And we all saw last year just how important Fogarty still is to the Raiders given the difference he made when he returned from injury.

The Raiders also had Jack Wighton and Aidan Sezer who guided them to a grand final in 2019, and Sezer and Blake Austin to a prelim final in 2016.

Former Parramatta youngster Ethan Sanders has made a big impression in Canberra. Pic: Raiders InstagramSource: Supplied

Raiders legends Ricky Stuart & Laurie Daleyin 1995.Source: News Corp Australia

There was also Todd Carney and Terry Campese, and the ‘Super Macs’ Mark McLinden and Andrew McFadden.

But even Fogarty has accepted it is now a significant part of his ongoing role to help develop Strange and Sanders over the next year or so to eventually take over.

And the word coming out of Canberra is that Sanders could not have done more to impress over the summer.

Sanders is in some ways a flashback to Stuart in that he is not only blessed with a strong kicking and passing game but can control the team with his talk.

Stuart has also stated previously Strange is not unlike a young Daley in the way he backs his powerful running game with his courage and willingness to put his body on the line in attack and defence.

Throw in the promise of excitement machine Chevy Stewart at fullback, and talented dummy half Owen Pattie (who is banging the door down to start the season), and the future spine of the Raiders is certainly not short of potential.

While Stewart will challenge Kaeo Weekes to wear the No 1 jumper in round one, Pattie is also pushing Tom Starling and Danny Levi for a spot in the top 17.

Even though it’s only a trial, I can’t wait to see how these young Raiders go up against the Panthers who also have a stack of youngsters looking to impress.

How good is it to have the footy back?

HOW BENNETT BECAME NRL’S LATEST WEIGHT LOSS GURU

Maybe it’s time for Wayne Bennett to go down the track of former Newcastle Knights premiership winner Adam “Mad Dog” MacDougall and develop his own weight loss program.

Because whatever the old supercoach is whispering to the Rabbitohs is certainly helping his players shed some kilos.

You don’t have to look hard to see how Latrell Mitchell’s body shape has been transformed this summer, while the reckon Cody Walker is also ready to rip.

But another player who has flown under the radar but has also dropped a stack of weight is gun backrower Keaon Koloamatangi.

Get this, Koloamatangi finished his final game last season tipping the scales at a whopping 117kg.

Yet when he returned for preseason training, he was down 11kg to 106kg.

At his best Koloamatangi is up with the most damaging backrowers in the game.

It just goes to show Latrell wasn’t the only Rabbitoh who lost his way last year.

Wayne Bennett is helping Souths star get ripped for the new season.Source: Supplied

BOOM BUNNY’S STUNNING SHOUT OUT TO SUPERCOACH

Here’s a name for Rabbitohs fans to put in the black book — Matthew Humphries.

The former Terrigal Junior was an absolute standout in the Rabbitohs’ thumping 58-12 first round SG Ball win over defending premiers St George.

Humphries scored two tries and kicked eight goals to finish with an individual haul of 24 points.

Even better, he then backed it up backed it up under Bennett’s watchful eyes by winning an endurance test at training on Tuesday, where the 18-year-old left the entire NRL squad in his wake.

Humphries spent the summer training with the top squad and is still doing two days a week with the NRL team while playing SG Ball.

Don’t be surprised if this kid is pushing for his debut later in the season.