Kangaroos coach Kevin Walters has clarified that his decision to omit South Sydney Roosters playmaker Sam Walker from the upcoming match is unrelated to the ongoing contract negotiation controversy surrounding the player. Walters revealed that he selected Cowboys captain Tom Dearden to partner veteran five-eighth Cameron Munster for this game, switching Dearden back to his familiar right edge role and marking the third different Australian halves combination in as many matches.
“This week it’s Tommy’s turn to show us what he’s got,” Walters said, emphasizing that the choice was based on team strategy rather than Walker’s contract situation. Walters also noted that coach Mitch Moses’s injury in the opening game created opportunities to test different combinations and that the selection does not necessarily reflect plans for the finals. “We’ve got plenty of options and I’d happily play any of the 23 players every week, but I can only put 19 in the squad,” he added.
Walker’s absence from the lineup follows public scrutiny over his stalled contract negotiations with the Roosters, which have recently attracted significant media attention. Discussions began mid-year and were deferred until the conclusion of the season, culminating in a 7:30 p.m. deadline imposed by the Roosters for Walker’s contract decision last Monday night. Walker reportedly contacted Roosters officials, including coach Justin Robinson and CEO Blake Solly, on Wednesday night to explain that he needed more time to consider the deal.
Roosters coach Justin Robinson expressed disappointment over the breakdown in negotiations but denied any misconduct by either party. He explained that Walker is currently contracted through 2027 but is expected to leave the club afterward, as no extension has been agreed upon. “No one’s done anything wrong, no one’s a bad person in this, he didn’t want to sign, we wanted to sign him and we couldn’t get it done,” Robinson said. When asked if there was any possibility of a new deal keeping Walker beyond 2027, Robinson responded firmly, “No, Nick [Politis] has made that pretty clear. The negotiations are done.”
Meanwhile, Walters defended the selection of a defensively vulnerable right edge pairing of Tom Trbojevic and Kotoni Staggs, who were recalled despite conceding three tries to Fijian winger Semi Valemei in the previous match. “Our defence, that right edge certainly needs some strengthening up,” Walters acknowledged. “There’s some work there that we need to do as a right edge, which we’ve worked on this week.”
Both Walker and fellow Roosters star Latrell Mitchell will remain sidelined for Saturday night’s match, but Walters indicated they might still feature in the finals. “They understand there’s only 13 starting spots and then six places on the bench, so all I can do is pick the guys that I believe are best for this week,” he said, reaffirming the selection focus remains on immediate performance rather than off-field matters.