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!
2. Lindsay Collins
Why his role is so important
Lindsay Collins has become known as one of the biggest effort players in the Sydney Roosters system, and that reputation has carried through to the Queensland Maroons and the Australian Kangaroos. He is not picked purely on metres or highlight moments.
He is picked because of what he represents. If there is a loose ball on the ground, Collins is the player who will dive on it. If there is a contest to be won, he will compete. If there is a moment where the pack needs a lift, he will be one of the first to answer it.
That style of player is priceless for a club like the Roosters, particularly as they transition from one era into another. In recent seasons, the Roosters have shed experience and leaned more heavily on young forwards stepping into bigger roles.
But Collins remains one of the key standard setters in their middle rotation. He brings confidence to the team. He brings toughness. He brings that intangible edge that turns good sides into teams that believe they can win in the hardest moments.
The Roosters in 2026 are not just trying to make the finals. They are expected to compete for the title. That expectation is built on their roster depth, their coaching, and their spine.
But premierships are still won through the middle, especially in September when fatigue, pressure and brutality decide matches. Collins is one of the players the Roosters rely on to set the tone early, maintain it through the grind, and lift it again when the game is on the line.
What needs to improve
The biggest issue for Collins in recent seasons has been his body. He has struggled with injuries, and there has been a sense that he has been battered and bruised through the middle for a long period of time.
That has affected his ability to play longer minutes, and it has naturally impacted his statistical contribution. When a middle forward is constantly dealing with niggles and physical setbacks, the first things that suffer are their ability to sustain impact, win collisions late in halves, and dominate the ruck for extended periods.
Because of that, there have been moments where Collins has been exposed in matches. Not because his effort dropped, but because he has not always been able to physically impose himself the way he did at his peak.
In the NRL, especially against elite packs, there is no hiding. If a forward is not fully fit or not able to play the minutes required, opposition teams will sense it and test that area repeatedly.
The Roosters will need Collins to get closer to his peak levels again. That means staying healthy, building his match fitness properly, and being able to play more minutes without his effectiveness falling away.
It also means taking a few more runs, being a little more involved in yardage, and competing harder defensively across longer stretches of the game.
Collins will always bring standards and effort. That part of his game will never diminish. But the Roosters need more than effort. They need him to regain authority.
There has been a perception over the last couple of years that he has been picked out at times through the middle. The only way to silence that is by returning to the version of Collins that was one of the most feared middle forwards in the competition.
Why his improvement matters
The Roosters are entering 2026 with a pack that has enormous potential. They have genuine enforcers around Collins, including Spencer Leniu and Naufahu Whyte, along with a wave of younger forwards who are developing quickly.
But even with all that talent, there is still a difference between having a strong forward pack on paper and having a pack that can win September football.
Collins is one of the players who bridges that gap. His presence gives the Roosters an emotional leader in the middle, a player who competes for everything, and someone who lifts the standards of those around him.
But for that influence to fully translate into premiership level performance, he needs to be able to physically match it again.
If Collins stays fit and regains that authority, it changes the entire Roosters pack. It means the Roosters can start games with aggression, maintain momentum through the ruck, and go into the big matches knowing they have a middle forward who can handle the toughest assignments.
It also takes pressure off the rest of the rotation, because the Roosters can rely on him for longer minutes and more consistent impact.
The Roosters do not need Collins to become a different player. They need him to become the best version of the player he already is. If he does that, the Roosters' premiership push becomes far more realistic. If he cannot, then even with all their talent, the Roosters risk being outmuscled when it matters most.
