The Roosters have been very quiet in the NRL market heading into the 2025 season.
The Roosters have been unusually quiet on the NRL market and Denan Kemp has claimed they will be making a move for the type of players in the ilk of Kalyn Ponga and Mitchell Moses for the 2026 season. Trent Robinson and the Roosters are heading into the 2025 season with a squad that is battling injury and uncertainty.
Sam Walker injured his ACL in the round 26 game against Canberra and will miss at least half the upcoming season. This will mean new signing Chad Townsend will slide into the halves. The exit of Luke Keary also hurts the Roosters with the five-eighth playing 168 games for the Tri Colours.
And the exits of Terrell May, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Joseph Suaalii have thinned out Robinson’s squad for the upcoming season. And Brandon Smith’s future at the club is also reportedly in limbo with talks the Roosters could let him negotiate with rivals.
While it may be looking like the Roosters will drop off slightly in 2025, the exit of so many big names will allow the club to throw around big money when looking for a new superstar.
And former NRL star Deenan Kemp has suggested the Roosters could be looking at the likes of Ponga or Moses. The Newcastle Knights fullback is still on contract with the club for a number of years on a reported $1.4 million deal.
Although Kemp feels the fullback might be interested in a move. This comes after the Kangaroos debacle, which saw the club release a statement on Ponga’s behalf to withdraw from Australian selection before backflipping. He also feels Moses’ situation at the Eels – with Jason Ryles looking to rebuild the battling club – also a good time to poach the halfback.
They are entering a new phase. I think there is going to be some mammoths signings. I can not see the Roosters going another 12 months without a big signing,” Kemp said on SEN Radio on Friday.
This whole Mitchell Moses thing is a bit weird. I think Kalyn Ponga. I know the Newcastle Knights would never let him go, but there has just been some weird smoke around it…it’s just typical Roosters fashion. It’s been way to quiet for too long. They are the best at big signings.”
While only speculation, Kemp pointed to the Roosters’ history of big signings and highlighted Cooper Cronk when he joined and won a premiership immediately. “The Roosters are the best at big signings. The Cooper Cronk signing was arguably one of the greatest signings of all-time,” he added..
They are the best in the business at it and the same people that did those signings over the last 20 years are still on the board. Something is brewing at the Roosters and I think it’s going to be monumental. It’s not just going to be one, it’s going to be multiple.”
