In a dramatic turn of events, Victor Radley is on the verge of making an unexpected return for the Sydney Roosters in their upcoming NRL semi-final showdown against Manly on Saturday night. The 26-year-old enforcer, who was initially ruled out due to a fractured scapula, has been included on the Roosters’ extended bench. This surprising development has sparked speculation, with Roosters great Braith Anasta shedding some light on the situation, revealing that club chairman Nick Politis has confirmed Radley’s preparations to play.
Radley sustained the injury less than three weeks ago during the Roosters’ Round 26 clash against the Canberra Raiders, an injury that initially seemed likely to sideline him for the entirety of the finals. However, the injury did not require surgery, and Radley has made significant progress in his recovery, impressing the club’s medical staff. Despite the nature of the injury, Roosters head coach Trent Robinson made the bold move of including him in the extended squad for the high-stakes clash against the Sea Eagles.
Anasta, speaking on NRL 360 on Tuesday night, disclosed key details from a conversation with Politis, who revealed that Radley has been actively “preparing to play.” The revelation has sent shockwaves through the NRL community, as Radley’s potential return would mirror another famous Roosters comeback – that of Cooper Cronk in the 2018 grand final. Cronk famously played through a shoulder injury in the Roosters’ victorious grand final campaign, though his role at halfback allowed him to delegate much of the physical load to teammates. Radley, however, would not have the luxury of staying out of the physical battles, as his position in the back row demands a high level of contact and physical intensity.
NRL journalist Paul Crawley pointed out that Radley’s situation is not entirely comparable to Cronk’s, highlighting the greater physical toll Radley’s role would place on his injured shoulder. “It’s a big call,” Crawley said, “it is the same injury as Cooper Cronk had going into the 2018 Grand Final, but Radley’s position requires a lot more physicality.” If Radley does take the field, he is expected to either replace Sitili Tupouniua on the right edge or come off the interchange bench, potentially at the expense of Siua Wong.
The Roosters will also welcome back veteran prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, who is returning from a three-game suspension. Roosters captain James Tedesco has praised Waerea-Hargreaves’ influence on the team, particularly his physicality and leadership, but cautioned that the veteran must maintain discipline in the fiery clash. “He brings that brutality that we definitely missed on the weekend against Penrith,” Tedesco said. “We just need to make sure that he doesn’t step over that line.”
Another area of intrigue is the Roosters’ decision to stick with young halfback Sandon Smith despite his struggles in last weekend’s heavy defeat to the Penrith Panthers. Smith admitted that he had a “tough night” against Penrith but is determined to bounce back in the critical semi-final fixture.
On the other side of the field, Manly has named an unchanged lineup following their thrilling sudden-death victory over the Canterbury Bulldogs. However, the Sea Eagles will once again be without winger Jason Saab, who is sidelined with an ankle injury. Manly’s star fullback Tom Trbojevic is battling his own injury concerns ahead of the clash, dealing with a shoulder issue that has plagued him since Round 27. Despite the injury, Trbojevic played through pain in the Bulldogs game and has trained with the team, though he avoided contact drills to allow his shoulder more time to recover.
Trbojevic is unlikely to feature in the upcoming Pacific Championships for Australia, as his shoulder may require surgery. The fullback admitted that representing Australia is far from his mind as he focuses on the immediate task of taking down the Roosters. “I haven’t really addressed that (playing for the Kangaroos), but I think it’d be a long shot,” Trbojevic said, noting that his current priority is the semi-final.
With both teams bringing their own injury concerns and key players returning to the fold, Saturday night’s semi-final promises to be a fierce and thrilling contest. The Roosters, buoyed by the potential return of Radley and the leadership of Waerea-Hargreaves, will be determined to bounce back from their Penrith loss, while Manly, led by a gritty Trbojevic, are equally hungry for a spot in the grand final.
