In what promises to be one of the most explosive rugby league interviews of the year, former Sydney Roosters prop Ben Thomas has broken his silence following his abrupt release from the club. After years of dedication, hard work, and loyalty, Thomas claims he was abandoned by the team he gave everything to. In a candid and raw conversation, the 26-year-old reveals the hurt and frustration behind his sudden exit, and even issues a chilling warning to Roosters captain, James Tedesco, about his future at the club.
“I gave everything to that club,” Thomas said, his voice heavy with emotion. “From the junior levels right up to first-grade, but in the end, they abandoned me.” The former Rooster holds nothing back, sharing his deep love for the fans, the adrenaline from hearing the chants in the stadium, and the bitter reality of how it all ended without a second thought from the club’s management.
But this isn’t just about Thomas. In a stark and pointed message, Thomas suggests that the same fate might await Roosters’ star player, James Tedesco. “He better prepare his mind for leaving,” Thomas warns. “The loyalty isn’t there, and if they can do this to me, they can do it to anyone.”
Thomas, born on the Central Coast of New South Wales, began his journey with the Roosters in the under-20s, playing in the 2016 and 2017 Holden Cup seasons. It was in 2016 that he played a pivotal role in the Roosters’ Holden Cup premiership-winning team, which secured a thrilling 30-28 victory over the Penrith Panthers. This moment, for Thomas, was the epitome of his loyalty and passion for the Roosters, and he hoped it was just the beginning of a long career with the club.
However, despite his contributions, Thomas found himself drifting away from the Roosters’ core team. He spent time playing for Wyong Roos, Newcastle, and North Sydney in the NSW Cup, always working hard to break back into the first-grade side. His dream became reality in Round 14 of the 2021 NRL season, when he made his first-grade debut against the Gold Coast Titans. For Thomas, this was a significant milestone proof that hard work pays off.
But things began to unravel behind the scenes. The club’s decisions, according to Thomas, showed a lack of loyalty. “I gave everything to that club, from the junior levels right up to first-grade, but in the end, they abandoned me,” Thomas said in a heartfelt statement. “I loved the fans, I loved hearing the chants in the stadium, and I always thought that bond would keep me tied to the Roosters. But when it came down to it, they let me go without even a second thought.”
Thomas expressed particular disappointment over how his departure was handled, saying he felt left in the dark about his future with the team. “They didn’t give me any real explanation. It was as if everything I’d done for them, all the years, all the sacrifices, meant nothing in the end.”
His frustrations don’t stop with his own experience. In his opinion, the club’s treatment of players reflects a deeper issue that could soon affect their star players. “The same thing they did to me, I believe they’ll do to James Tedesco next,” Thomas warned. “He’s given them everything, but the way this club operates, he should start preparing his mind for a similar exit. The loyalty isn’t there. He might want to think about going somewhere else, maybe even to the Super League, before they do the same thing to him.”
The statement is a strong one, and it’s bound to send shockwaves through Roosters fans and even the wider NRL community. Tedesco, the Roosters’ captain and one of the NRL’s brightest stars, has been a pillar of the club’s success. But if Thomas’ words are anything to go by, no one is immune to the cold, business-first mentality of modern rugby league.
Thomas didn’t stop there. He reflected on his most recent experience in the 2023 NSW Cup, where he played for North Sydney. Despite their efforts, North Sydney fell short in the grand final against South Sydney. “It was tough to lose, especially knowing that it would likely be my last game tied to the Roosters’ system. But even that didn’t hit as hard as the realization that my time at the club was over.”
For Ben Thomas, the future is uncertain, but one thing is clear he feels betrayed by the Sydney Roosters, and he’s not holding back. Whether his warning to Tedesco proves to be true or not, it’s clear that Thomas believes something is deeply wrong with the way the Roosters are handling their players.
As the rugby league world digests Thomas’ revelations, fans will now be watching closely to see if his predictions about James Tedesco’s future come to fruition.