With Sam Walker having a mortgage on the Roosters’ number seven jersey as long as he is in Bondi, the emergence of rookie Hugo Savala and continued speculation about a Daly Cherry-Evans offer means there just isn’t any room at the Roosters for Sandon Smith.
As has been reported for some time, the three interested clubs are the Canberra Raiders, North Queensland Cowboys and Newcastle Knights.
This week it was reported the Raiders have withdrawn their interest, but competition between the two remaining suitors is heating up – making Sandon Smith one of the hottest properties on the NRL free agent market.
The Newcastle Herald reported today the Knights have put forward a huge offer, increasing their initial deal from two years to four years in a bid to convince the playmaker to sign.
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The offer is an aggressive move by the Knights, hoping to stave off the Cowboys while adding to their recent recruitment splurge that saw the biggest contract in club history handed to Eels half Dylan Brown, who will arrive at the Knights next season.
It is understood Smith could be in line to start at hooker rather than the halves, a position he has filled several times for the Roosters prior to Luke Keary’s retirement at the end of the 2025 season.
It also feels like a bit of history repeating – almost mirroring the Knights’ move several years ago for Connor Watson, who, like Smith, played much of his career in the halves before transitioning into a hooker role.
Watson eventually found his way back to Bondi, but the Knights are hoping Smith will be a long-term fixture and develop into the starting-calibre hooker, or even half, that they have been missing in recent seasons.
At just 22 years of age, Smith has plenty of time to develop with his best football ahead of him, so it is easy to see why clubs are showing such strong interest.
Smith’s decision may very well come down to where he wants to play, with the Cowboys reportedly looking to start him in the halves alongside representative star Tom Dearden – a role he may be more comfortable with.
With the Knights’ increased offer raising the stakes in the Sandon Smith sweepstakes, the ball is now squarely in the Cowboys’ court to return serve.