Brisbane’s Shane Perry is the only premiership-winning No.7 of the past 30 years to step into the role as a replacement halfback,doing so in place of the sacked Brett Seymour two months out from the 2006 grand final.

Connor Watson shapes as Smith’s replacement at hooker,while Canberra’s Elliott Whitehead isfacing a minimum three-game ban for the hip drop tackle that caused his ACL rupture and led to a heated exchange between he and Trent Robinson in the Allianz Stadium sheds.

Robinson dismissed Whitehead’s attempts to check in on Smith after full-time,saying“the hip drop’s been pretty common in his game for a long time.”

Whitehead’s charge was his fourth since late 2022 for hip drop tackle but the previous three were deemed minor infractions and punished only with fines.

The NRL has indicated Robinson’s comments about Whitehead are not under review from the governing body.

The ACL ruptures for Smith and Walker take the Roosters to a round dozen knee reconstructions in the past five seasons,with luckless centre Billy Smith – who returned from a lengthy ankle injury last week – suffering three alone.

According to NRL Physio,the figure is double the next most prevalent clubs in that period (the Cowboys,Warriors and Tigers have all had six ACL ruptures).

The Roosters have previously looked into their surprisingly high rate of rugby league’s most feared injury and found no common cause,with changes in their medical and high-performance staff throughout that period.

Walker’s injury blow comes at a delicate time in extension talks,with the Roosters keen to tie him down before the November 1 deadline when rival NRL clubs can officially table offers for 2026 and beyond.

A two-year extension worth around $1.9 million has already been tabled by the club,butboth parties were also working towards a long-term deal. A strong finals series from Walker was expected to tip his value beyond $1 million a season.

Smith’s injury blow also comes afterconjecture around his own future midway through the year when he was dropped for disciplinary reasons.

The Kiwi international had been in impressive form since being put on notice with the club as he too also enters the final year of his contract,worth around $900,000 in 2025 due to a salary cap-based ratchet clause.

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