NRL Market Watch: Roosters lock in Queensland Origin star Robert Toia long-term
The Sydney Roosters have thwarted possible poaching raids by locking in Robert Toia long-term, with the star centre scoring a massive pay rise.
The Sydney Roosters have ramped up their recruitment-and-retention drive by securing Queensland Origin sensation Robert Toia in a $2 million Bondi coup.
This masthead can reveal Toia has agreed to terms on a multimillion-dollar four-year deal that will see the classy centre remain at the Roosters until the end of 2029.
The 21-year-old was already contracted to the Roosters until the end of 2027 but Bondi bosses upgraded his current deal and added a further two seasons to ensure Toia is locked in for an extended period.
The move ensures Toia has been removed entirely from the open market, thwarting possible poaching raids from new expansion clubs Perth and Papua New Guinea, who enter the NRL in 2027 and 2028 respectively.
The Nudgee College product had a head-spinning 2025 season, making his NRL debut in round 1 against the Broncos before his shock Queensland Origin call-up after just 10 first-grade games.
Toia starred in Queensland’s series win and capped an outstanding debut campaign by being named the NRL’s rookie of the year after seven tries from 22 games for the Tri-Colours.
The cherry on top was his international Test debut for Tonga a fortnight ago in his nation’s 34-6 loss to Samoa in the Pacific Championships blockbuster at Suncorp Stadium.
In the afterglow of the Maroons’ series win, Toia emerged as one of the leading centres in the game and the Roosters are banking on the tackle-busting Tongan to be a match-winner for the next decade.
Toia was originally due to become a free agent in November 2026, when the PNG Chiefs will officially enter the player market armed with the ultimate enticement of tax-free dollars for prospective foundation players.
But the Roosters have moved pro-actively to ensure the 100kg threequarter is going nowhere, with coach Trent Robinson keen to give Toia a handsome pay rise for his sizzling exploits this year.
The lucrative upgrade is sweet reward for Toia, who has overcome the agony of consecutive knee reconstructions in the 2022 and 2023 seasons to become one of the most dangerous centres in the NRL.
Speaking to this masthead in June, after making his Queensland Origin debut, Toia admitted he wasn’t sure if he would be good enough to play NRL, but was determined to fight back from his twin ACL tears.
“I had some doubts about whether I could play at a high level but never did I think about giving it away to be honest,” said Toia, who rejected interest from rugby’s Queensland Reds as a teenager.
“The love of the game kept me in league.
“When I was 15, before I signed my first Roosters contract, the Reds were keen, but my heart was always with rugby league.
“It was an easy decision really. It wasn’t much of a fight to be honest.”
The retention of Toia comes as the Roosters prepare to welcome marquee recruit Daly Cherry-Evans to the club next week.
Toia was captained by Cherry-Evans when he made his Queensland debut in May and the blockbusting centre will be relishing reuniting with the champion playmaker at Bondi in 2026.
Dragons swoop on strike winger
The Dragons are poised to add some serious strike to their backline with Warriors try scoring winger Setu Tu on the verge of inking a two-year deal.
Tu has verbally agreed to joining Shane Flanagan’s Red-V squad for 2026, pending an upcoming medical assessment.
Tall, athletic and a genuine threat under the high ball, the 27-year-old has a tremendous strike-rate for tries in the NSW Cup.
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Tu scored 13-tries in 14-games for the Warriors during their premiership-winning season of 2025, including two tries in the club’s State Championship final victory over the Burleigh Bears on NRL grand final day.
The Dragons have been scouring the open market for additional depth in their outside backs and provided he passes his medical assessment, Tu will be a welcome addition to the 2026 roster.
—David Riccio
Originally published as NRL Market Watch: Roosters lock in Queensland Origin star Robert Toia long-term
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