The Sydney Roosters head into 2026 in a position they are accustomed to. Expectations are high, pressure is constant, and anything less than a deep finals run will be viewed as a failure.
Despite shedding a huge amount of experience at the end of 2024, the Roosters produced an inconsistent but impressive 2025 campaign, one where many expected them to struggle to even make the top eight. Instead, they found a way.
A number of young players exceeded expectations and stepped into roles they had been developed for across multiple seasons. The rise of Naufahu Whyte and the emergence of Robert Toia gave the Roosters a stronger platform through the middle and on the edges than most predicted. Sam Walker continued his progression as one of the most talented young halves in the competition, while James Tedesco turned back the clock in a way that shocked even his critics.
After falling out of favour in representative football in recent seasons, Tedesco adjusted his game, found a new balance, and ran away with the Dally M Player of the Year award. It was a reminder that the Roosters still have elite class at the top end of their roster.
Now, they add one of the biggest signings in the modern era. Daly Cherry-Evans arrives in his 16th season of NRL football and likely the final chapter of his career. With his leadership, his kicking game, and his ability to control matches, the Roosters have immediately become one of the most feared teams in the competition.
Combined with a forward pack so deep they could almost field two NRL-quality sides, the Roosters are expected to compete hard for the premiership and will almost certainly start the year in the top three or four of the betting markets.
But even with all that upside, there are still improvement areas. Finishing eighth is not the standard at the Roosters. If they are to turn that ladder position into a genuine premiership run, they will need key players to lift their consistency, durability, and impact across the season.
These are the five players who must improve for the Roosters to obtain the edge over their fellow heavyweights in 2026!
1. Sam Walker
Why his role is so important
Sam Walker is considered one of the most naturally talented halves of his generation.
In a short NRL career, he has already shown an ability to play what he sees in front of him and create opportunities for the Roosters that most halves simply do not see coming.
He has that instinctive football brain, the confidence to take on defensive lines, and the creativity to manufacture points even when the structure breaks down.
Walker also has the pedigree. As the son of Ben Walker, and coming from the famous Walker brothers family line, Ben, Shane and Chris, he has been surrounded by rugby league knowledge and expectation his entire life.
The Roosters do not just view him as a talented young half. They view him as a long term franchise player, someone who can be at the centre of their premiership window for the next decade.
That is why his role in 2026 is so important. The Roosters are not entering the season to simply compete. They are entering the season with genuine premiership expectations, and Sam Walker is a critical part of whether that becomes reality.
He is the halfback who can unlock their strike, build momentum, and control the tempo of games. Even with the arrival of Daly Cherry-Evans, the Roosters still need Walker to be the player who can take a match by the throat when the moment arrives.
What needs to improve
The biggest improvement area for Walker is learning the balance between brilliance and control. His best football comes when he plays with freedom, takes on the line, and backs his instincts. But in the biggest matches, particularly when the Roosters are under pressure, it has been noted that he can overplay his hand or take risks that are unnecessary.
That is the fine line for elite halves. You must take risks to win games, but the key is knowing when to take them, how often to take them, and what the match situation demands.
Walker needs to keep developing that game management awareness, which will naturally come with experience, but it must lift quickly if the Roosters are going to meet their expectations in 2026.
His durability is another factor. Walker has had injury interruptions that have stalled his development and momentum. Those kinds of injuries can take time to fully recover from, and they can impact confidence, timing, and rhythm in big moments. For Walker to reach his ceiling, he needs a consistent season of football where he is building week to week.
He also needs to keep working on his longer kicking game. That is one of the areas where Daly Cherry-Evans will help by sharing the responsibility, but Walker still needs to develop that part of his game if he is going to become a complete controlling halfback.
Defensively, he has improved, and he continues to work on it, but he attracts a lot of traffic. Opposition teams target him, and he needs to keep making his tackles and staying composed under fatigue.
Why his improvement matters
If the Roosters are going to turn an eighth placed finish into a premiership charge in 2026, Sam Walker has to evolve from a talented young half into a genuine match controlling leader. The arrival of Daly Cherry-Evans will help enormously, but Walker cannot become a passenger. He must still develop the confidence and authority to manage the team when required, rather than relying on Daly to take over everything.
The Roosters will be hoping Daly Cherry-Evans can have a similar influence to what Cooper Cronk once had at the club, particularly in mentoring and elevating the halves around him. But Walker still needs to be the long term driver of this team. That means learning how to deliver the right play at the right time under pressure, building his kicking game, and becoming more consistent in big matches.
Walker already has the tempo, the creativity and the natural ability. What comes next is the maturity, the control, and the decision making that separates talented halves from premiership winning halfbacks. If he takes that step in 2026, the Roosters become a genuine threat to win the competition. If he doesn't, they may still be a strong side, but they will fall short of the standard the club expects.
