The Sydney Roosters have confirmed their faith in young half Sam Walker, with the club reportedly set to make a multi-million dollar offer to keep the halfback at the club long-term.
With the free agency date of November 1 drawing ever closer, Fox Sports reports the Roosters are making early moves to secure the 20-year-old before he becomes a free agent.
The 2021 NRL Rookie of the Year is currently equal-second on the NRL’s scoring charts, just 27 points behind leader Valentine Holmes.
The young half had already revealed earlier in the year that he wanted to stay at the Tri-colours long-term after he was reported to be courting interest from a number of clubs looking to exploit the difficult salary cap balance at the club after the signing of Melbourne back-rower Brandon Smith.
Walker has played 40 games for the Roosters since he was brought down from the Broncos, making his debut in Round 4 last year.
Though their club combination got off to a rocky start, Walker and Luke Keary have continued to improve together on the field. The club stumbled thanks to a shock four-game losing streak but they’ve managed to stop the rot in recent weeks.
Their most recent win against a depleted Manly side was their third in a row and they’ve re-entered the top eight on for-and-against over the Raiders.
Walker will be vitally important to their finals prospects, with three of the club’s final four games coming against teams in the top eight. A win against Brisbane this week could take them to seventh place on the ladder, but a loss could take them out of the top eight entirely.
The club are also believed to be making efforts to secure another promising young talent in Joseph Suaalii after reports emerged that he was being targeted by Rugby Australia. Suaalii has a player option in his favour in his current deal.
