The Sydney Roosters have reportedly identified Newcastle Knights centre Dane Gagai as a potential signing for the 2025 season to replace stars Joey Manu and Joseph Sua'ali'i.
With the impending departures of Manu and Sua'ali'I to rugby union and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves’s move to Hull KR in the English Super League, as well as the cloudy futures of Daniel Tupou and Angus Crichton, the Roosters have money to spend in the player market.
While the Roosters have a number of promising outside backs in their system, as well as proven centre Billy Smith, the addition of the former Queensland representative would prove a major boost for Trent Robinson’s men.
Speaking on The Run Home with Joel and Fletch, Joel Caine said the rumour was an indicator for how the Roosters planned to spend their war chest.
“The fact they’re going for someone like a Dane Gagai… says to me the priority spend can’t be in the centres,” Caine said.
“The modern balance of moneyball when it comes to winning premierships is not top heavy in the centres so to go for someone iron clad like Gagai, to me that feels like ‘we can spare some pennies there’.
“He is absolutely prototype Robbo’s (Trent Robinson) Roosters.”
The 33-year-old has represented Queensland on 22 occasions and in 2017 became the first winger to win the Wally Lewis medal for State of Origin Player of the Series. He has also represented Australia.
Besides gaining a world-class outside back, however, Bryan Fletcher said Gagai’s character would make him a valuable signing in itself.
“The thing that I can see why they got Dane Gagai is he is a very good human and would fit into what Robbo wants,” Fletcher told The Run Home with Joel and Fletch.
“He is one of rugby league’s true gentlemen. I can see why they’d want him involved because he is a true gentleman.”
Gagai off off-contract at the end of the year, though it is yet to be seen whether he will leave Newcastle or not.