The Roosters have locked in their leadership structure for the 2025 season, with James Tedesco remaining skipper while Lindsay Collins and Victor Radley have been promoted to new roles after the club lost a stack of experience. Tedesco has led the side since 2021 and will enter the new season with a couple of new deputies after Luke Keary and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves moved to the Super League. The experienced duo have been replaced by Collins and Radley who will serve as vice-captains as the Roosters turn to two of their most senior figures in a year where the top-eight credentials are already being questioned. The club may have lost a lot of talent but they have still managed to name a strong leadership group that includes Connor Watson, Angus Crichton, Nat Butcher, Spencer Leniu, Sam Walker and new recruit Chad Townsend. “James has been an outstanding leader for our club. He is highly respected, and his professionalism and drive set the standard for those around him,” Roosters coach Trent Robinson said. “Lindsay and Victor bring tremendous energy and commitment, and their leadership qualities continue to grow. “We have a strong group of players who understand what it means to represent the Sydney Roosters, and this leadership group will play a key role in driving our standards in 2025.”
The 'nucleus' missing from Roosters win
Take these nine blokes and you have the nucleus of a premiership-winning team - Brandon Smith, Daniel Tupou, Dominic Young, Nat Butcher, Sam Walker, Victor Radley, Egan Butcher, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Lindsay Collins. All nine were missing from the Roosters line-up last Friday night yet the team still managed to carve out a 36-28 win over old rivals Souths. The win without so many stars shows what many believe - that the Roosters have the best depth in the NRL. That will be crucial when the finals basically come down to a battle of the fittest, with injuries and suspensions likely to decide who takes the title. And with such a powerful squad and many of these nine blokes set to return in coming weeks, the Roosters could be the team to beat.

