Sam Walker shuts door on potential Broncos switch in major admission from Roosters playmaker

Sam Walker has all but closed the door on a potential switch to the Brisbane Broncos after admitting that he's "getting closer" to signing a two-year extension with the Sydney Roosters. Walker grew up in Queensland, was a Broncos fan as a kid, and has previously been linked with a move back north to replace veteran No.7 Adam Reynolds when he hangs up the boots.

NRL salary cap constraints at the Broncos have been cited as the biggest stumbling block to any potential move for Walker, particularly with fullback Reece Walsh set to become the latest to recommit to Brisbane in a deal worth around $5 million. But with uncertainty around Ezra Mam's $4 million contract after the drama engulfing the five-eighth, it could feasibly open the door for Walker.

Mam checked himself into rehab on Monday after being involved a car crash with an Uber driver last Friday that left a four-year-old girl in the other car with a fractured hip and seatbelt burns. Queensland Police are alleging that Mam was driving without a license and failed an initial roadside test for drugs. No charges have been laid yet, with the results of a second blood sample test for drugs likely to determine the star's fate.

If Mam is found guilty, there is every chance the Broncos could tear up his contract, which would free up $800,000 per year in their cap. Dragons captain Ben Hunt has already been linked with a switch to the Broncos as a potential replacement for Mam but a move for Walker would make more sense - if the worst-case scenario for Mam does come to fruition.

Walker is contracted to the Roosters until the end of next season but is free to speak with rival clubs from November 1 about his future beyond 2025. With that deadline fast approaching, the Roosters are understandably keen to tie down the No.7 as soon as possible and Walker suggested it was only a matter of time before his extension with the Tri Colours is finalised.

Sam Walker close to officially extending with Roosters

"It's getting closer," Walker said in an interview with 9News Sydney on Wednesday. "I'm sure there will be some stuff that will come out soon and (I'm) looking forward to it." Walker's reported two year, $2 million extension will tie him to the Roosters until the end of the 2027 season and is expected to be confirmed in the coming days. It comes as a huge relief to a Roosters side that farewelled a host of stars after the 2024 season, including rugby-bound stars Joseph Suaalii and Joey Manu, plus veteran prop Jared Waarea-Hargreaves.

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Walker revealed he's set to miss the first half of the Roosters' 2025 NRL campaign after suffering a season-ending ACL injury in round 26 that ruled him out of finals contention. The 22-year-old has also recently undergone shoulder surgery but says his recovery from both injuries is progressing as he'd hoped.

"They are both coming along nicely," Walker told SEN 1170. "The knee is about seven weeks and the shoulder is maybe a month post-surgery. "The shoulder honestly feels pretty good, just the knee I'm watching all the muscle slowly deteriorate away. I've had a couple of weeks of off-season now and I'm looking forward to getting into my rehab and get ready for the back-end of next year."

Walker said of all the stars to depart the club after the previous season, Waerea-Hargreaves would leave the biggest hole to fill. But the No.7 backed fellow enforcers such as Lindsey Collins, Spencer Leniu and Terrell May to step into the enormous boots of the Roosters' record appearance-maker.

“It is a massive loss for us," Walker said about Waerea-Hargreaves. “He is the most caring bloke in the locker room (but) when he gets onto that field he just turns into that maniac that we all see... It will be a big step up for some of our front rowers. It is an exciting opportunity for those guys to put their foot down and be the leader of the pack.”