Waerea-Hargreaves set for UK swansong after claiming Roosters record

Decorated Sydney Roosters prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves will leave the club at the end of 2024 for a swansong in Super League.

Waerea-Hargreaves had been expected to retire at the end of the year, but will extend his top-level rugby league career into a 17th season in the UK and is currently in talks with Hull KR.

The 35-year-old has played 298 NRL games, all but six of them for the Roosters, after starting his career at Manly in 2009.

A seven-game suspension from late last season has ruled the veteran enforcer out of the Roosters’ Las Vegas trip for their historic season-opener against Brisbane. An application to NRL judiciary chair Geoff Bellew for last week’s NRL All Stars clash to be counted towards his suspension was rejected by the governing body.

Provided Waerea-Hargreaves returns in round 2 against the Sea Eagles, he will play his 300th NRL game against arch-rivals South Sydney the following week.

He is on track to finish his career as the club’s longest-serving player with 292 games in red, white and blue, currently sitting behind only Mitchell Aubusson (306 games), Anthony Minichiello (302) and Luke Ricketson (301).

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves will play on in 2025, but not in the NRL.

“The Sydney Roosters have been my home, my family, and my passion for many years,” Waerea-Hargreaves said.

“I love the club and everybody who’s a part of it and anyone who knows me knows what the Roosters jersey means to me. This hasn’t been an easy decision but after discussions with my family and Trent [Robinson], I know it’s the right one.”

Waerea-Hargreaves has been a linchpin of Robinson’s side for more than a decade, winning premierships in 2013, 2018 and 2019 with the Tricolours.

He has long been regarded as one of the NRL’s premier front-rowers and chief enforcers, pushing the line with regard to aggression and often earning the ire of the Match Review Committee.

“Jared is the heart and spirit of our club and he is family to the Roosters,” Robinson said.

“It’s been an absolute pleasure to coach someone that plays the game the way he has for more than a decade…

“There’s no question he will go down in history as one of the best forwards to wear the Roosters jersey.”

Waerea-Hargreaves’ eventual Roosters exit, while expected, continues a changing of the guard at the glamour club. Star centre Joey Manu has told officials he will likely take up a lucrative overseas rugby deal next season, following young gun Joseph Suaalii to the rival code. Back-rower Angus Crichton is also weighing up a similar shift, having entertained interest from French rugby.

The Roosters have been preparing for life after Waerea-Hargreaves for some time, with star recruit Spencer Leniu to make his club debut in Las Vegas after being poached from Penrith.

Rising prop Terrell May has also been tabled a two-year extension, worth around $400,000-a-year, after his breakout 2023 season.

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