Months after being crowned the Player of the Tournament of the 2025 Harold Matthews Cup, Carter Mareko has been rewarded for his red-hot form with a new contract.
Arguably the best rugby league prospect under the age of 17, Mareko is coming off a stellar last six months, which have seen him take his talents to new heights for the Central Coast Roosters and Central Coast Sports College.
One victory away from making the Harold Matthews Cup Grand Final, Mareko was the unanimous Player of the Tournament, thanks to his attacking intelligence, quick footwork, elite speed, and ability to find gaps in the opposition's defensive line.
After guiding Central Coast to the third week of the finals earlier in the year and playing in the U18S ASSRL National Championships, Mareko has now signed a three-year contract with the Sydney Roosters until the end of 2028.
"It's unreal playing for the Roosters, and when you're out on the field, you have to pinch yourself that I'm here," Mareko told Zero Tackle recently.
"We're really tight and we do everything together. It's just good playing with your brothers.
"I'll go back and work on my game in the off-season, then start again in pre-season for SG Ball."
Before shifting his sole focus to rugby league, Mareko tried his hand at several other sports, including Aussie Rules, OzTag, rugby union and touch football, to name a few.
However, he quickly realised that he enjoyed rugby league more than the others.
Although he didn't support a team growing up, he admitted that he now goes for the Roosters and has already had the opportunity to speak with NRL head coach Trent Robinson.
"This was always my main sport, and I guess I'm better at it than the other sports," Mareko said.
"Haven't spoken to any NRL player at the moment, but I've talked to a few of the coaches, such as Robbo, and the advice they give me is really good."
