Rugby League football club based in Sydney, Australia
Sydney Roosters
Club information
Full name
Eastern Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club
Nickname(s)
Roosters, Easts, Tricolours, Chooks, Sydney City
Short name
Sydney Roosters
Colours
Red White Blue (Navy)
Founded
Team: 8 September 2018; 5 years ago (8 September 2018) Club: 24 January 1908; 116 years ago (24 January 1908) as Eastern Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club
The following players have been signed on a Development contract for 2024.[12]
Tyra Ekepati (who moves to a full contract for the 2025 season)
Taneisha Gray
Tess McWilliams
Liz Tafuna (U.S.A Rugby 7's) was signed for the 2024 season however was released due to a medical condition prior to the season starting.[13]
Taina Naividi was added to the squad and played in the trial match (vs Sharks) on 14 July, scoring two tries. Naividi played for the Parramatta Eels in early 2022, but incurred an ACL injury during the 2022 HNWP season and missed missed the 2022 NRLW, 2023 HNWP and 2023 NRLW seasons.[14]
Corban Baxter suffered an ACL injury during the trial match, ruling her out of the 2024 NRLW season.[15]
Shawden Burton, who had rehabilitated an ACL injury sustained during the 2023 NRLW season, tore her hamstring during pre-season training, ruling her out of the 2024 season.[15]
Brydie Parker sustained a forearm fracture in the trail match, for which recovery is extpected to be six to eight weeks.[15]
Eliza Lopamaua was promoted from a Development contract to a full contract in the top 24 as injury replacement.[14] Lopamaua had played three seasons in Under 19 competitions, for Wynnum in 2022 and the Indigenous Academy Sydney Roosters in 2023 and 2024. Lopamaua participated in the NRLW trial match.
The following players were signed on a Development contract for 2023.[16]
7 — (3 April 2022 — 10 April 2022, 20 August 2022 — 18 September 2022)
Most consecutive losses
4 — (30 September 2018 — 29 September 2019)
4 — (17 October 2020 — 6 March 2022)
History
On 27 March 2018, the Sydney Roosters applied for, and won, a license to participate in the inaugural 2018 NRL Women's season.[2] Adam Hartigan was named as the coach of the women's side.
In June 2018, the club used up the maximum of fifteen marquee signings ahead of the inaugural season which subsequently commenced in September. Players signed included Karina Brown, Isabelle Kelly and Ruan Sims.[28]
In 2019, Rick Stone took over as coach. The club, however, failed to win a match, claiming the wooden spoon. Tallisha Harden was awarded the club's Best & Fairest Player for the 2019 season.
Jamie Feeney was appointed the head coach for the 2020 season, being determined to turn the club's fortunes around. He was assisted by Kylie Hilder and John Strange. Feeney immediately appointed Corban McGregor as the clubs new captain. The club also announced the big signing of Sevens Rugby star and 2016 Gold Medalist, Charlotte Caslick. In his first season, Feeney took the side to the Grand Final however they fell short, going down 20–10 as the Brisbane Broncos claimed a three-peat of premierships.
In 2021, John Strange was appointed the head coach with Kylie Hilder staying on as assistant coach. After a tough start to the season, the Roosters snuck into the finals in fourth place before upsetting defending champs Brisbane Broncos in the semi-final and then defeating the highly fancied St George-Illawarra Dragons in the Grand Final (played at Moreton Daily Stadium, Redcliffe) to claim the club's inaugural NRLW title.
John Strange added to his success in 2022 by claiming the club's first NRLW Minor Premiership (5 wins, 0 losses) before being eliminated by the Parramatta Eels in an upset semi-final loss. Season 2023 followed a similar path with the club finishing second (8 wins, 2 losses) in the Premiership rounds before once again falling short in the semi-final, this time at the hands of the Gold Coast Titans.