Stunned teammate Salesi Foketi hopes the Sydney Roosters can find a way to keep Sam Walker after the NRL premiers dramatically pulled their contract offer from the "irreplaceable" playmaker.
Billionaire chairman Nick Politis sent shockwaves through the NRL on Monday night after the club released a statement saying the Roosters and Walker's management were unable to reach an agreement for an extension beyond the 2027 season.
Up to seven clubs are said to be circling as the 24-year-old becomes one of the hottest players to go on the market from Saturday, when the contract period reopens.
The Roosters may even opt to let the newest Kangaroos debutant go next season, meaning Walker may have played his last game for the club.
Foketi on Tuesday said that would be a sad development.
"The club's very good and Sammy's very good," Foketi said after Tonga World Cup training in Sydney.
"Sammy goes out and competes and that's just the kind of person he is on and off the field."
Asked if it would be a disaster for the Roosters to lose their premiership-winning half, Foketi baulked and said: "Disaster? Jeez, that's a big word.
"Yeah, honestly, I'm not too sure. I'm just focused on the World Cup at the moment and taking it day by day, as I do," he said.
"Everyone's irreplaceable. Everyone plays the game in their own way, everyone's unique in that way."
The Roosters are already losing a raft of their grand final stars, including Mark Nawaqanitawase and Angus Crichton to rugby union, retiring winger Daniel Tupou, Walker's halves partner Daly Cherry Evans to the English Super League, Connor Watson to St George Illawarra and Spencer Leniu to Parramatta.
A Roosters fan as a child, Walker has stated on several occasions to AAP in the past month that he wanted an extension beyond 2027.
His value soared in 2026 after he excelled during his State of Origin series debut with Queensland, before helping the Roosters to a first title in seven years before making Australia's World Cup squad.
It has been reported that the Roosters upgraded their initial offer to Walker to stay beyond 2027 to close to $6 million over four seasons.
But after negotiations dragged on and on, testing Politis's patience, the club pulled the pin.
Walker said before his Kangaroos bow against Fiji on Sunday that he wanted to get through the match before considering his extension talks.
"My preference is obviously to stay at the Roosters," he said.
If talks don't resume, Walker and Penrith superstar Nathan Cleary, who has yet to officially re-sign with the Panthers, are sure to spark a bidding frenzy for their services.
