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!
5. Daly Cherry-Evans
Why his role is so important
Daly Cherry-Evans arrives at the Sydney Roosters in 2026 after 15 seasons in the NRL with the Manly Sea Eagles, where he became the backbone of the club for well over a decade. He won a premiership in his first year of first grade, partnering with Kieran Foran, and from that moment he was never just another halfback. He became the identity of Manly's spine and the leader they built everything around.
His departure from Manly was surrounded by constant media noise. Early in 2025, Daly publicly announced he would not be re-signing with the Sea Eagles, and while everybody believed the Roosters were his destination, he refused to confirm anything for months. That silence created distraction and tension around the club, and by the end, his relationship with the Manly fanbase felt fractured.
Now he arrives at the Roosters, in what looks like a move that may evolve into a coaching role after the season, and he will be determined to finish his career on a high.
The Roosters are not signing Daly Cherry-Evans to be a passenger. They are signing him to be the general. His experience and game management will complement young stars such as Sam Walker and emerging players like Hugo Savala, while giving the Roosters a level of control and big-game leadership that only the elite halves in the modern era can provide.
There is also a clear parallel here. Cooper Cronk left the Melbourne Storm late in his career, joined the Roosters, and helped them win back-to-back premierships. Daly Cherry-Evans will be aiming to replicate that blueprint, and the Roosters have built a squad that is strong enough to give him that chance.
What needs to improve
Daly Cherry-Evans has remained remarkably consistent across his entire career, but if there is one area that continues to follow him, it is defence. As a halfback, he has always been a target. He has also carried a huge load throughout his career, taking on the bulk of the kicking, controlling tempo, and often being the man expected to produce the big moment play when the pressure is highest.
In his final season, he does not have the luxury of slowly easing into the year. The Roosters will play a heavy schedule of high-quality matches, and they will be expected to win most of them. Daly must hit the ground running and form combinations quickly, because the Roosters' premiership chances depend heavily on finishing in the top four.
He will also need to adjust to a completely different system, a different coach, and a different set of strengths around him. At Manly, he was the heartbeat of everything. At the Roosters, he will still be a dominant leader, but he will be working alongside Sam Walker, and it is not yet known whether Daly will play seven or six. The Roosters may want Daly in a more supportive role to allow Walker to take more long-term responsibility, but even if that happens, Daly's influence will still be massive.
The key is that Daly must connect quickly with the Roosters' defensive system. The Roosters pride themselves on defence, and their standards are ruthless. Daly has to ensure his communication and connection in defensive decision making is sharp from the opening rounds.
Why his improvement matters
The Roosters are expected to start 2026 as one of the top premiership contenders. They have an elite forward pack, enormous depth, and young players who have already exceeded expectations. What they have been missing is that experienced spine general who can steer them through the chaos of big games, finals football, and the pressure moments when seasons are defined.
That is why Daly Cherry-Evans is here.
If he gets this move right, the Roosters do not just become a strong side, they become a genuine premiership threat. His kicking game, his ability to take big moments, and the leadership he has developed in the second half of his career are exactly what the Roosters need in tight matches.
Daly has spent the last five years as one of the dominant halves in the competition, and even in representative football he reached a new level from around 2020 onwards. He has shown he can lead under pressure, including when he captained a Queensland side that many labelled the worst Origin team in history, and still guided them to an unlikely series win under Wayne Bennett.
Now he arrives in a team built to win now.
If Daly Cherry-Evans forms combinations quickly, lifts the Roosters' organisation, and holds his defensive standards in a system built on elite defence, he gives the Roosters the exact ingredient they believe they need to turn expectation into trophies.
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Collins’ problems have primarily been injury issues and the cumulative effect on his body of battling it out in the middle for the last nine seasons, including 26 SOO and Australian rep matches.
Yes, it would be nice for the Roosters if he could magically turn back the clock, but that can’t happen and the coach needs to accept that, and factor it in when deciding on forward rotation.