NRL 2025: Roosters season preview, predictions, teams, ladder, James Tedesco, Trent Robinson, Roosters v Broncos, rugby league news
For the first time in a long time, the Roosters enter an NRL season with their backs against the wall.
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The NRL’s ‘glamour club’ are being doubted.
The reason being is that it will be a new-look Roosters side in 2025 after the departure of six key players.
Those being: Joey Manu, Luke Keary, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Joseph Suaalii, Terrell May and Sitili Tupouniua. All six were apart of the Roosters’ best 17 last year.
Not only is that a glut of talent gone, but a wealth of experience and veteran leadership as well.
In addition, star half Sam Walker is expected to miss most of the 2025 season as is hooker Brandon Smith, with both suffering serious knee injuries in a shock loss to Canberra late last season.
Including Smith and Walker, the Roosters are missing a total of 1178 games of NRL experience from last season.
That’s an eye-watering number.
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“Because of the amount of experience gone from Jared to Joey Manu and a key playmaker in Sammy Walker, I think the Roosters are pushing it uphill to make the eight this year,” Fox League’s James Hooper said on NRL360.
The external expectations on the Roosters are as low as they’ve been in recent years. It’s a unique predicament for the club.
Skipper James Tedesco is relishing the unfamiliar underdog tag.
“That’s good,” he tells foxsports.com.au.
“Usually we’re the ones who are talked up and everyone thinks we’re going to win so we’ll take the underdog role this year if that’s how people want to view it.
“I know we’re putting the work in to make sure we have a successful year so we’ll let them (critics) talk about that.”
Halfback Chad Townsend has a similar mindset to Tedesco.
“I love it. It doesn’t worry me to be honest,” he told foxsports.com.au.
“It’s not the first time I’ve played in the team that has been tipped to come last or tipped to miss the eight.
“Everyone has their opinions but it’s up to us to do our job and prove them wrong.
“What would I say to them? I’d say I love it and bring it on.
The Roosters’ ploy to replace the departed players hasn’t been through free agency, yet giving the guys already on their roster the chance to fill the void.
It has meant that coach Trent Robinson has handed three Roosters their NRL debut in the season opener against the Broncos.
Robinson is considered one of the game’s best coaches for a reason. He boasts a stellar record since at the Tricolours since joining in 2013.
Yet, given the mass changes in personnel, 2025 could be Robinson’s “greatest challenge” yet.
“I think this is the greatest challenge of Trent Robinson’s coaching career,” Hooper said.
“I do genuinely think from what we saw from them in the trials, I think it’s going to be a tough season.”
The Roosters aren’t exactly crying pour. They still boast plenty of topline talent. But is it enough to mix it with the best teams this season?
The bookies don’t think so, with the Roosters on the eighth line of betting to win the comp ($21).
They’re even money to make the eight, which in Dan Ginnane’s and Braith Anasta’s eyes, would be a “good result” for a team fielding essentially a brand new team in 2025.
“If they make the top eight, that’s a pretty good year… I know they’re the Roosters, but for what they’re up against, top eight is pretty good.
Braith Anasta added: “It’s unusual for the Roosters but I think the top eight is a pass mark.”
STRENGTH
Forward pack.
They lost plenty of grunt in the off-season, with props Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Terrell May departing the club, but even without that pair, the Chooks boast a top five starting forward pack in the competition.
Lindsay Collins will anchor an engine room featuring fellow Origin star Spencer Leniu, while Naufahu Whyte is primed for a career-best year as the team’s third option. Whyte will start the season in the run on side with Leniu out suspended for two games.
The Roosters back row has two of the game’s best in Angus Crichton and Victor Radley, while the ever reliable Nat Butcher is set to start the season at lock forward.
With 21-year-old Siua Wong and promising teens Blake Steep and Salesi Foteki to come off the bench in Round 1, the Roosters aren’t short of young talent who are up to this level.
While Collins and Leniu need to have big years for the Roosters to be a premiership threat, the key name in their forward pack is Crichton.
There aren’t enough adequate superlatives to describe his monster 2024 campaign. He’s a game-breaking edge who strikes fear into opponents.
If Crichton plays at the same level in 2025, the Roosters should be thereabouts.
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WEAKNESS
Backline.
No Manu, no Suaalii and no Keary means that points may come at premium for the Roosters in 2026.
A brand new centre pairing of the uncapped Rob Toia and Wallaby convert Mark Nawaqanitawase replace Manu and Suaalii while the injured Sam Walker and the departed Keary have been replaced by Sandon Smith and veteran Chad Townsend.
The halves will be key (see below), and while Smith is a up-and-coming talent, a pairing of him and Townsend doesn’t inspire a whole heap of confidence in the eastern suburbs just yet.
It’s hard to be too critical of a backline featuring James Tedesco, Dom Young and Daniel Tupou, but it’s fair to say that Tedesco and Tupou aren’t getting any younger.
Again, it’s hard to cast early Judgement given it’s essentially a brand new Roosters backline, but if you wished to be critical, a look at the Pre-Season Challenge would give you plenty of ammo.
The Roosters struggled mightily, scoring just 18 points across two games.
Worrigly, they were blown off the park despite fielding a near full-strength line up against the Knights, with the Roosters’ right edge torn to shreds in a first half to forget.
IT’S A BIG YEAR FOR
Chad Townsend.
Not sure the veteran half envisioned being thrust into the starting side for Round 1 when he signed a one-year deal with the Roosters in July of last year.
Townsend was signed to provide depth but most importantly, provide some leadership and a veteran presence for a team lacking in it after losing Luke Keary, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Joey Manu.
Two months after Townsend signed for 2026, Sam Walker went down with a serious knee injury. Walker is expected to miss half of the 2025 season.
Townsend will wear the No. 7 jersey for the foreseeable future, and his play will prove vital to the Roosters’ chances this season.
It was only in 2022 when he led the Cowboys to a preliminary final.
His past two seasons haven’t been great, but in a new system under a leading head coach, Townsend could replicate some of his best form.
THE RISING STAR
Robert Toia.
The uncapped 20-year-old will make his NRL debut against the Broncos after earning the right centre spot up for grabs in the wake of Joey Manu’s deperature to Japanese rugby union.
Manu’s shoes are huge ones to fill, but Toia is well-regarded in the Roosters system, albeit luckless.
Toia hasn’t had a chance in first grade yet due to several injuries, including two devastating ACL injuries in consecutive seasons (2023, 2024).
He finally gets his chance to shine at the top level, and according to skipper James Tedesco, Toia “hasn’t missed a pre-season session”.
“He’s been around the system for a few years now but he’s had a terrible run with injuries,” Tedesco told foxsports.com.au.
“I’m used to having Joey Manu outside me on the right but now I’ve got Rob Toia, who has a lot of natural skill and ability.
“He’s learning quickly as well and getting better and better so I’m excited to see how he goes.”
THE UNLUCKY ONE
Junior Pauga.
Pauga misses out on a backline spot in Round 1, beaten out by Toia and Nawaqanitawase.
He proved last season that he’s ample good enough to feature in first grade.
He’ll have to bide his time for now, but if Toia or Nawaqanitawase’s form isn’t where it needs to be or a wing spot opens up, Pauga will likely be the next man up depending on when Billy Smith is right to return from injury.
FOX SPORTS LAB PREDICTED FINISH: aa
ROUND 1 TEAM
1. James Tedesco
2. Daniel Tupou
3. Mark Nawaqanitawase
4. Robert Toia
5. Dominic Young
6. Sandon Smith
7. Chad Townsend
8. Lindsay Collins
9. Connor Watson
10. Naufahu Whyte
11. Angus Crichton
12. Victor Radley
13. Nat Butcher
14. Zach Dockar-Clay
15. Siua Wong
16. Blake Steep
17. Salesi Foteki
2025 squad: Angus Crichton (2026), Beniah Loelu (2028), Billy Smith (2027), Blake Steep (2026), Brandon Smith (2025), Chad Townsend (2025), Connor Watson (2027), Daniel Tupou (2026), De La Salle Va’a (2027), Dominic Young (2027), Egan Butcher (2025), James Tedesco (2026), Junior Pauga (2027), Lindsay Collins (2026), Mark Nawaqanitawase (2026), Nat Butcher (2027), Naufau Whyte (2026), Robert Toia (2027), Salesi Foketi (2027), Sam Walker (2027), Sandon Smith (2026), Siua Wong (2026), Spencer Leniu (2027), Toby Rodwell (2028), Victor Radley (2027), Hugo Savala (2026), Jake Elliott (2027), Reece Foley (2026), Xavier Va’a (2025, NRL 2026)
Development players: Rex Bassingthwaite (2025, NRL 2027), Xavier Va’a (2026)
2025 gains: Mark Nawaqanitawase (rugby union), Chad Townsend (Cowboys)
2025 losses: Joseph Suaali’i (rugby union), Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Hull KR), Joseph Manu (rugby union), Luke Keary (Catalans), Sitili Tupouniua (Bulldogs), Terrell May (Wests Tigers).
Coach: Trent Robinson (2028)
