NRL General Recruitment and Retention


Hey I've just come back from November 2025 with my time machine, here's the club statement:

The Sydney Roosters are delighted to announce the signing of five time Dally M prop of the year and 2025 Wally Lewis Medalist, Payne Haas, for the 2027 NRL season.

25 year old Haas has played 141 NRL games, 16 games for the NSW Blues, and 4 tests for Australia. He adds athleticism, energy and leadership to the Roosters forward pack, which at this point is basically all tier 1 rep players again baby, suck on that everyone.

Roosters Head Coach, Trent Robinson, has earlier fielded questions about how the club can fit Haas into a salary cap which just welcomed Kalyn Ponga on a 3 year, $2.8 million per season deal.

"With James Tedesco agreeing to terms with the Perth Bears, freeing up his $800K per season salary (he was of course taking unders), plus the retirement of Daniel Tupou, who's spent his entire career playing for $150K per season out of pure loyalty to the club, that opened up the $5.5 million per season we needed for Ponga and Haas. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to make sure Naufahu Whyte's new boat was delivered to the right address."

We look forward to welcoming Haas at Roosters HQ in three days after he agitates his way into an early release from the Broncos.
 
Just catching up with some of the Pezet stuff, wanted to see Anastasia talk about it lol.

I don’t know how he can keep a straight face and tell us he is ready for first grade and wants to be a first grade half and how Braith really wants to give him a chance to do that….

We offered him a decent contract and keys to the team. He declined - to be a back up for at least another 2 years. Since he made that decision 6 months ago, he has played 45 minutes of NRL.

I just don’t get how he is ‘desperate’ to be a first grade half and he’s now ready. When his actions and decisions suggest otherwise.

Crawley mentions Strange and how he was brave and got out of the Roosters system to go take a chance, back himself and play in Canberra. Insinuating Pezet doesn’t back himself and seems content being in the shadows.

In the next sentence, Braith calls for Paps to be banned from NRL if he signs with Rugby 360.

Space cadet.


Edit: oh and he also gets to run a highlights reel of Ilias in NSW Cup and a segment on why he should be 7 at the Dragons.

At least we know Pezet ain’t going to the Dragons
 
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Just catching up with some of the Pezet stuff, wanted to see Anastasia talk about it lol.

I don’t know how he can keep a straight face and tell us he is ready for first grade and wants to be a first grade half and how Braith really wants to give him a chance to do that….

We offered him a decent contract and keys to the team. He declined - to be a back up for at least another 2 years. Since he made that decision 6 months ago, he has played 45 minutes of NRL.

I just don’t get how he is ‘desperate’ to be a first grade half and he’s now ready. When his actions and decisions suggest otherwise.

Crawley mentions Strange and how he was brave and got out of the Roosters system to go take a chance, back himself and play in Canberra. Insinuating Pezet doesn’t back himself and seems content being in the shadows.

In the next sentence, Braith calls for Paps to be banned from NRL if he signs with Rugby 360.

Space cadet.


Edit: oh and he also gets to run a highlights reel of Ilias in NSW Cup and a segment on why he should be 7 at the Dragons.

At least we know Pezet ain’t going to the Dragons
How can you take Anasta seriously and/or have any integrity when he is a TV presenter and a player manager at the same time?
It is amazing how big headed egotists live in the rugby league space these days.
Sounds like a snake oil salesman to me!
 
Could be completely wrong but does anyone think that maybe Pezet rejected us simply because of what happened with his Dad. He might simply not like the club nor want to play here?

Maybe was hedging his bets to either stay at Melbourne if Hughes didn’t re-sign or waiting for another offer eg the bears.
Munster and Pezet would be a good starting halves for a new franchise. Experience and youth.
 
Could be completely wrong but does anyone think that maybe Pezet rejected us simply because of what happened with his Dad. He might simply not like the club nor want to play here?

Maybe was hedging his bets to either stay at Melbourne if Hughes didn’t re-sign or waiting for another offer eg the bears.
Munster and Pezet would be a good starting halves for a new franchise. Experience and youth.
Think there’s definitely a few contributing factors to his decision not to come here.

- his dads previous relationship with the Knights (not entirely across what went down, but any breakdown comes with stress and there’s bound to be some familial resentment there - despite parties claiming no hard feelings)

- it’s the Melbourne Storm - they have a great track record developing winners and improving players

- working with Bellamy, Munster, Hughes, Grant and access to Smith, Cronk, Slater.

- AOB has been playing half roulette. There’s every possibility Pezet comes and become another on the graveyard of NSW Cup. Perhaps the gameplan we had didn’t suit him.

- Storm push for a GF each year. We push for 8th place.

- Anastasia doesn’t seem to like us much.

Anyway, for whatever reason he didn’t want to come here.

Just can’t cop Anastasia crying a river that Pezet deserves a chance and is ready to be a main man NRL 7 at a club 6 months after declining such an offer.
Think the club went out on a limb to put forward a good offer and showed a lot of faith in him and his ability - rejected.

Reality is, he wants to be a 7….at a successful club…with every chance of success.

Could work out at Canberra…
 
Just can’t cop Anastasia crying a river that Pezet deserves a chance and is ready to be a main man NRL 7 at a club 6 months after declining such an offer
Think the club went out on a limb to put forward a good offer and showed a lot of faith in him and his ability - rejected.
Yep. Don’t disagree with anything you said!

Only raised my point as I feel it hasn’t been mentioned much at all.

The point above you made makes me so happy that according to Barry we won’t be persuaded to make a second offer either.
 
Raiders in the mix loan Pezet for 2026.
The Canberra Times article is really weird, it's phrased like they're interested in him as their third choice half? Uhhhh... not really how these loan things work mates. He can play reserve grade for Melbourne too lol.
 
Raiders in the mix loan Pezet for 2026.
That would be a good idea for them if they still want to be in contention next year. Gives Sanders another year and they’ll have depth in the halves.

In the meantime, they really need to have Strange and Weekes work on their ball playing. Just being runners isn’t enough, they need to be able to move the ball more.
 
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