ROOSTERS STAR: Tedesco Struck contract extension ahead of third title pursuit

A third NRL premiership and a contract extension are goals that Sydney Roosters skipper James Tedesco is aiming for in what could be a crucial few months.

Tedesco is optimistic that Roosters halfback Sam Walker can sign a new contract to stay at Bond despite the growing speculation about his future after 2025.

The 31-year-old captain, who could fetch over $1 million a season on the open market, may find it difficult to get that kind of money at the Roosters because the team hasn’t yet settled on Walker. After the end of 2025, Brandon Smith will likewise not have a contract. Tedesco, who has backed himself to play for another three or four years, has been a standout back for the second-place Roosters.

“The body is feeling good, so I don’t think there’s any reason to not want to keep playing,” Tedesco told this masthead.“I’m the captain of the club, I’ve really enjoyed my career here and I want to finish my career here. I don’t know how long that [future] looks like, but in terms of my body and [how I feel] mentally, I’m in a really good place.

“I wanted to focus on my footy this year and let that do the talking. There’s no reason to stress or overthink things. Hopefully, we can get something done in the next couple of months. That would be ideal, but I’m putting all my energy into the finals.” Melbourne fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen is off contract next year but is expected to re-sign, which would likely result in Storm youngster Sua Fa’alogo becoming a free agent in 2026.

But Tedesco’s leadership will be too important to the Roosters, who lose Luke Keary and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves to Super League at the end of this year and Joey Manu to Japanese rugby. The trio have a combined 716 games worth of NRL experience between them.Tedesco is relishing the chance to keep setting the standard for the next-generation Roosters.“[Another] big thing about being a captain, it’s not just about you playing well, you need to make sure everyone else is on, and we’re playing good footy as a team – that’s been a big positive for me this year,” Tedesco said.The Roosters moved into second on the ladder after beating the Gold Coast and face Canberra and South Sydney in the final fortnight.