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The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional
rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
football club based in the
Eastern Suburbs Eastern Suburbs may refer to: Places *Eastern Suburbs (Mumbai), India *Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), Australia **Eastern Suburbs railway line, Sydney, Australia Sports clubs ;Association football *Eastern Suburbs AFC, Auckland, New Zealand * Eastern ...
and parts of inner
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
including the CBD. The club competes in the
National Rugby League The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...
(NRL) competition. The Roosters have won fifteen
New South Wales Rugby League The New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) is the governing body of rugby league in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory and is a member of the Australian Rugby League Commission. It was formed in Sydney on 8 August 1907 and was ...
(NSWRL) and National Rugby League titles, and several other competitions. First founded as the Eastern Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club (ESDRLFC), it is the only club to have played in every season at the elite level, and since the 1970s has often been dubbed the glamour club of the league. The Sydney Roosters have won 15 premierships, equal to the record of the
St George Dragons The St. George Dragons is an Australian rugby league football club from St George District in Sydney, New South Wales that played in the top level New South Wales competition and Australian Rugby League competitions from the 1921 until th ...
. Only the
South Sydney Rabbitohs The South Sydney Rabbitohs are a professional Australian rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen pla ...
have won more premierships. The club holds the record for having won more matches than any other in the league, the most minor premierships and the most
World Club Challenge The World Club Challenge is an annual rugby league competition between the winners of the Australasian National Rugby League (NRL) and the European Super League, for the de facto club world championship of the sport. The first such match was pl ...
trophies. The Sydney Roosters are one of only two clubs (the other being the
St. George Illawarra Dragons The St. George Illawarra Dragons is an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing both the Illawarra and St George regions of New South Wales. The club has competed in the National Rugby League since 1999 after a joint-ve ...
in 1999) to finish runners-up in their inaugural season. Currently coached by
Trent Robinson Trent Robinson (born 15 March 1977) is an Australian professional rugby league coach who is the head coach of the Sydney Roosters in the NRL and a former professional rugby league footballer. He has previously held coaching positions at Toul ...
and captained by
James Tedesco James Tedesco (born 8 January 1993), nicknamed "Teddy", is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a and captains the Sydney Roosters in the NRL, New South Wales rugby league team and Australia. He previously played for the Wests ...
, the Roosters play home games at the
Sydney Football Stadium The Sydney Football Stadium, commercially known as Allianz Stadium and previously Aussie Stadium, was a football stadium in Moore Park, Sydney, Australia. Built in 1988 next to the Sydney Cricket Ground, the stadium was Sydney's premier rect ...
. The club was founded in 1908 in
Paddington Paddington is an area within the City of Westminster, in Central London. First a medieval parish then a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965. Three important landmarks of the district are Paddi ...
, Sydney, as Eastern Suburbs; in 1995 the club's name was changed to the ''Sydney City Roosters'', and in 2000 to the Sydney Roosters. The team's Leagues Club is based in
Bondi Junction Bondi Junction is an eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is 6 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of Waverley. Bondi Junction is a largely comme ...
and its home ground, administration and training facilities are located at nearby Moore Park. The Roosters have long-standing and fierce rivalries with other Sydney-based clubs, especially the South Sydney Rabbitohs, a fellow foundation club based in neighbouring Redfern.


History

The Eastern Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club (ESDRLFC) was formed on 24 January 1908 at a meeting at the Paddington Town Hall in SydneyCollis and Whiticker, p. 16. after it was decided that the district should enter a team in the newly formed
New South Wales Rugby Football League The New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) is the governing body of rugby league in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory and is a member of the Australian Rugby League Commission. It was formed in Sydney on 8 August 1907 and was ...
.Collis and Whiticker, p. 12. The ESDRLFC was formed, under its articles of association with the NSWRFL, to represent the geographic areas in Sydney covering the Waverley, Randwick, Woollahra, Paddington and Vaucluse local government municipalities, as well as the eastern parts of the Sydney CBD. Indeed, the locality of Sydney, with postcode 2000, falls entirely within the official boundaries of the ESDRLFC. Unofficially nicknamed the "Tricolours" due to the red, white and blue playing strip,Collis and Whiticker, p. 29. Eastern Suburbs won its
first match ''First Match'' is a 2018 American drama film written and directed by Olivia Newman, based on her 2010 short film of the same name. The film stars Elvire Emanuelle, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Colman Domingo, Jharrel Jerome, and Jared Kemp. The film pr ...
, defeating Newtown 32–16 at
Wentworth Oval Wentworth Park is a park near the suburbs of Glebe and Ultimo in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The park contains several muti-purpose sporting pitches, cricket nets and a number of fitness installations. There is a playground in the so ...
on 20 April 1908. In 1913 it became the first club to win three consecutive premierships;Collis and Whiticker, p. 381. the line-ups during this period included the likes of
Dally Messenger Herbert Henry Messenger, nicknamed "Dally" and sometimes "The Master" (12 April 1883 – 24 November 1959) was one of Australasia's first professional rugby footballers, recognised as one of the greatest-ever players in either code. He played f ...
, Harry "Jersey" Flegg and
Sandy Pearce :''Sid Pearce directs here, for his son, the rugby league footballer of the same name, see Joe Pearce'' Sidney Charles Pearce (born 30 May 1883 and died 14 November 1930 Double Bay, New South Wales), better known as Sandy, was a pioneer Austral ...
, all regarded as all-time rugby league greats. However, the club rapidly declined and failed to win the premiership for the next nine seasons. Eastern Suburbs missed the finals once from 1926 to 1942, and in that time won four titles and the minor premiership on seven occasions. During this period, Dave Brown set several point-scoring records that still stand.Collis and Whiticker, p. 20. In
1935 Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude Franco-Italian Agreement of 1935, an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * ...
, the team lost just one game,Collis and Whiticker, p. 21. and recorded the highest winning margin in their history, an 87–7 (equivalent to 106–8 using the modern scoring system) victory over
Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. ...
. In
1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...
, Eastern Suburbs became one of five teams in premiership history to remain undefeated for an entire season, a feat they repeated the following year. It is the only club to remain unbeaten for two consecutive seasons. Despite claiming the premiership in 1945, Eastern Suburbs failed to make the finals for the following seven seasons. A
runners-up A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people (such as sporting teams and organizations) to recognize and reward their actions and achievements.
finish in 1960 was the closest the club came to claiming the premiership during this era. Eastern Suburbs were soundly defeated 31–6 in the grand final that year, by the famous record-beating St George outfit. In 1966, the club fell to new depths and was winless for the first time in its history.Collis and Whiticker, p. 23.Andrews, p. 658. It was also the last occasion in which the Roosters won the
wooden spoon Wooden Spoon may refer to: * Wooden spoon, implement * Wooden spoon (award) ** Australian rugby league wooden spooners ** County Championship Wooden Spoons ** List of Australian Football League wooden spoons ** MLS Wooden Spoon * Wooden Spoon Soci ...
until claiming it again in the 2009 season. It ended a poor run for Eastern Suburbs; from 1963 to 1966, they won 8 of 72 matches, finishing second to last in 1964 and last in the other three years.Collis and Whiticker, p. 24. The club underwent a renaissance in 1967 after appointing
Jack Gibson Jack Gibson may refer to: * Jack Gibson (rugby league) (1929–2008), Australian player and coach * Jack Stanley Gibson (1909–2005), Irish physician * Jack Gibson (ice hockey, born 1880) (1880–1955), ice hockey player and executive * Jack Gibs ...
as coach (1967–68), and introducing a new emblem on the playing jerseys, the
rooster The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...
. From 1972 to 1982, the Roosters won four minor premierships and played in four grand finals, winning two consecutively. Gibson, now dubbed as "Super Coach", returned to lead the team from 1974 to 1976.Collis and Whiticker, p. 25. In
1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...
and
1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
, the team won 39 of 44 matches, both minor premierships and both grand finals and set a premiership record of 19 consecutive wins. The 38–0 grand final victory in 1975 against St George was the largest margin in a first grade grand final,Collis and Whiticker, p. 26. and the record stood for 33 years until superseded by Manly's 40–0 win over the
Melbourne Storm The Melbourne Storm are a rugby league club based in Melbourne, Victoria in Australia that participates in the National Rugby League. The first fully professional rugby league team based in the state, the Storm entered the competition in 1998. ...
in
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
. Although the 1975 grand final was played during an era of a now-obsolete scoring system - with 3 points awarded for a try - the scoreline using 4 points for tries would mean that the record winning margin for a grand final would still hold with an adjusted score of 46–0. With line-ups including Mark Harris,
Elwyn Walters Elwyn Aubrey Walters (born 25 June 1943) is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played for South Sydney Rabbitohs, South Sydney and Sydney Roosters, Eastern Suburbs clubs and for the Australia national rugby league team, Australian ...
,
John Brass John Brass (born 7 October 1946) is an Australian former rugby union and rugby league footballer - a dual-code international. He made twelve international representative rugby union appearances with the Wallabies from 1966 to 1968 and six rep ...
,
Bill Mullins William Mullins (born 30 January 1948 in Campsie, New South Wales) is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played during the 1960s and 1970s in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership, the major rugby league competition in A ...
,
Russell Fairfax Russell Lance Fairfax (born 29 March 1952, Sydney, New South Wales) is an Australian former Rugby Union and Rugby League player. A precocious talent, he played his first rugby international while still at school. Having played eight tests for ...
,
Johnny Mayes Johnny Mayes (born 29 April 1947) is an Australian former rugby league halfback who represented Australia in the 1975 World Cup. He also played in three consecutive premiership-winning teams from 1973 to 1975, the first for Manly-Warringah and ...
,
John Peard John "Bomber" Peard (born 15 January 1945) is an Australian former rugby league footballer and later coach. An Australian international and New South Wales representative , he played for the Eastern Suburbs, St George and Parramatta NSWRFL ...
,
Ron Coote Ron Coote AM (born 1944) is an Australian former representative rugby league player whose club career was played with South Sydney and the Eastern Suburbs Roosters, with both of whom he won premierships. He is considered one of the nation's fi ...
,
Ian Schubert Ian 'Shoey' Schubert (born 22 August 1956) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. He later became chief salary cap auditor for the National Rugby League. An Australian international repre ...
and captain
Arthur Beetson Arthur Henry "Artie" Beetson OAM (21 January 1945 – 1 December 2011
, the
Centenary of Rugby League The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...
panel considered the Roosters of 1974 and 1975 to be among the greatest club teams of all time. Between 1984 and 1995, the Roosters reached the semi-finals once, and became known to critics as the "transit lounge", due to the high frequency of player purchases and releases.Collis and Whiticker, p. 27. The club came close to reaching the premiership in 1987 under coach and favourite son Arthur Beetson, being defeated by eventual premiers Manly in a "bruising" major semi-final, 10–6.Middleton, p. 108. As the
Super League war The Super League war was a commercial competition between the Australian Rugby League (ARL) and the Australian Super League to establish pre-eminence in professional rugby league competition in Australia and New Zealand in the mid-1990s. Super ...
built up in the mid-1990s, the Roosters recruited high-profile coach Phil Gould and star five-eighth
Brad Fittler Bradley Scott Fittler (born 5 February 1972), also known by the nickname of "Freddy", is the head coach of the New South Wales State of Origin team, a commentator and a television presenter. Fittler has previously coached the Sydney Roosters in ...
, both from the
Penrith Panthers The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith that competes in the NRL. The team is based west of the centre of Sydney, at the foot of the Blue Mountains. Penrith ...
. This helped to quickly send the Roosters back to the upper end of the ladder. Fittler's presence proved invaluable; during his reign, the Roosters competed in four grand finals in five years. In 2002, the club captured its 12th premiership – the first in 27 years – defeating Minor Premiers the
New Zealand Warriors The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and is the League's only team from outside Australia. They were formed in 1995 as ...
30–8 in the
2002 NRL grand final The 2002 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2002 NRL season. It took place on Sunday, 6 October 2002, at Sydney's Telstra Stadium. 80,130 people saw the Sydney Roosters beat the New Zealand Warriors 30–8. T ...
.Collis and Whiticker, p. 28. In the
2003 NRL grand final The 2003 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding match of the 2003 NRL season. In what was a contest of Sydney's east versus west, defending premiers the Sydney Roosters played against minor premiers the Penrith Panthers. The ...
against the
Penrith Panthers The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith that competes in the NRL. The team is based west of the centre of Sydney, at the foot of the Blue Mountains. Penrith ...
, the Roosters lost 18–6 in what was their heaviest defeat for the year. A decisive moment occurred midway through the second half: with the scores tied at 6-all, Roosters winger
Todd Byrne Todd Byrne (born ), also known by the nicknames of "Bones", "The Big Pretzel", and "Skinny", is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s. He played at club level in the National Rugby League for the Sydn ...
made a clear break down the sideline and looked set to score a try before being chased down and tackled into touch by Penrith lock forward,
Scott Sattler Scott Sattler (born 13 December 1971) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played during the 1990s and 2000s, later becoming the Football Manager of the Gold Coast Titans. A Queensland State of Origin representative ...
. From then on, the momentum of the game was with Penrith. The Roosters' made the Grand Final in
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
, when they ceded a 13–6 half-time lead to be defeated by the
Bulldogs The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is of medium size, a muscular, hefty dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose.Chris Anderson Chris Anderson may refer to: Sports * Chris Anderson (baseball) (born 1992), American baseball player * Chris Anderson (cheese roller), 22-time winner of annual cheese rolling * Chris Anderson (footballer, born 1925) (1925–1986), Scottish footb ...
as coach in 2007 and 2008 following two relatively unsuccessful years under
Ricky Stuart Ricky John Stuart (born 7 January 1967) is an Australian professional rugby league football coach who is the head coach of the Canberra Raiders in the NRL and a former rugby league footballer who played as a in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. He ...
. On 9 July 2007, Anderson resigned after a 56–0 loss to the
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Sydney's Northern Beaches. The team colours are maroon and white, while their namesake and logo is the sea eagle. They compete in Australia's premier rugb ...
. Assistant Coach Fittler acted as the caretaker for the remainder of the 2007 season, before being appointed in August to the top job for two years. With eight rounds remaining in a disappointing 2009 season in which the Roosters finished with the
wooden spoon Wooden Spoon may refer to: * Wooden spoon, implement * Wooden spoon (award) ** Australian rugby league wooden spooners ** County Championship Wooden Spoons ** List of Australian Football League wooden spoons ** MLS Wooden Spoon * Wooden Spoon Soci ...
for the first time in 43 years, Fittler was informed he would not be the coach in 2010, his position to be taken by veteran coach Brian Smith. The Roosters wound up winning only five games for the entire season; twice against
Cronulla Cronulla is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Boasting numerous surf beaches and swimming spots, the suburb attracts both tourists and Greater Sydney residents. Cronulla is located 26 kilometres south of the Sydney ...
and once against each of
Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...
in Canberra, eventual grand finalists
Parramatta Parramatta () is a suburb and major Central business district, commercial centre in Greater Western Sydney, located in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately west of the Sydney central business district on the ban ...
and
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...
in Newcastle. A year after finishing last, under the coaching of Brian Smith they reached the
2010 NRL Grand Final The 2010 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2010 NRL season. Played on Sunday, 3 October at Sydney's ANZ Stadium, the match was contested by the St. George Illawarra Dragons and the Sydney Roosters. It was ...
where the
St. George Illawarra Dragons The St. George Illawarra Dragons is an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing both the Illawarra and St George regions of New South Wales. The club has competed in the National Rugby League since 1999 after a joint-ve ...
defeated them 32–8. The Roosters led 8–6 at half time but were overrun in the second half. What followed was another relatively disappointing season at Bondi Junction, with the Roosters finishing 11th in a 2011 season plagued by off-field issues involving 2010
Dally M Medal The Dally M Medal is awarded each year (annually) to the player voted for as the 'Player of the year' over the National Rugby League (NRL) regular season. The awards are named in honour of Australian former rugby league great Herbert Henry "Dal ...
list
Todd Carney Todd Carney (born 2 June 1986), also known by the nickname of "Toddy", is an Australian former professional rugby league player who played in the 2000s and 2010s. He has previously played for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, Sydney Roosters and ...
(who was later sacked by the Roosters at season's end). However, a four-game winning streak to end the season brought hope for the 2012 season. Other high-profile players including
Nate Myles Nate Myles (born 24 June 1985) is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s, he last played for the Melbourne Storm in the National Rugby League. A Queensland State of Origin and Australia national represen ...
,
Mark Riddell Mark Robert Riddell (born 9 December 1980) is an Australian rugby league commentator and former professional player who played as a in the 2000s and 2010s. A City New South Wales rugby league team, City New South Wales representative goal-kic ...
,
Jason Ryles Jason Ryles (born 17 January 1979 in Wollongong, New South Wales) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. A New South Wales State of Origin and Australia national representative forward, ...
,
Kane Linnett Kane Linnett (born 11 January 1989) is a Scotland international rugby league footballer who plays as a or forward for Hull Kingston Rovers in the Super League. He has previously played for the Sydney Roosters and the North Queensland Cowboys ...
, and
Phil Graham Philip Leslie Graham (July 18, 1915 – August 3, 1963) was an American newspaperman. He served as publisher and later co-owner of ''The Washington Post'' and its parent company, The Washington Post Company. During his years with the Post Comp ...
all left the club at season's end. The Roosters endured a disappointing 2012 season, finishing 13th. Brian Smith resigned from the coaching role shortly after the Roosters' season concluded with a loss to the Minor Premiers
Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. ...
, and also at season's end captain
Braith Anasta Braith Anastasakis (born 14 January 1982), better known as Braith Anasta, is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a and in the 2000s and 2010s. An Australian and Greek international, Anasta played in the NRL ...
left to join the
Wests Tigers The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional Rugby league, rugby league football team, based in the Inner West and South West Sydney. They have competed in the National Rugby League since being formed at the end of the 1999 NRL season as a j ...
in 2013. The 2013 season saw new staff, a new coach,
Trent Robinson Trent Robinson (born 15 March 1977) is an Australian professional rugby league coach who is the head coach of the Sydney Roosters in the NRL and a former professional rugby league footballer. He has previously held coaching positions at Toul ...
, and several new players, including big signings Michael Jennings, James Maloney,
Luke O'Donnell Luke O'Donnell (born 22 October 1980) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative forward, he previously ...
and
Sonny Bill Williams Sonny Bill Williams (born 3 August 1985) is a New Zealand heavyweight boxer, and a former professional rugby league and rugby union player and as of recently is working for Stan Sports. He is only the List of dual-code rugby internationals#New ...
, arrive at the club. This culminated in the Roosters finishing the 2013 season with a 24–12 win over the
South Sydney Rabbitohs The South Sydney Rabbitohs are a professional Australian rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen pla ...
, securing the Minor Premiership for the 2013 season and were the NRL's best attacking and defensive team. The Roosters defeated the
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Sydney's Northern Beaches. The team colours are maroon and white, while their namesake and logo is the sea eagle. They compete in Australia's premier rugb ...
4–0, in week one of the finals, earning a week's rest. The Roosters defeated the
Newcastle Knights The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership. Playing in red and blue, th ...
40–14 in week three of the NRL finals, progressing to the 2013 NRL grand final, facing the
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Sydney's Northern Beaches. The team colours are maroon and white, while their namesake and logo is the sea eagle. They compete in Australia's premier rugb ...
, winning 26–18. It was a great comeback by the Roosters, down by 10 points in the second half they went on to score three consecutive tries to seal the win and their 13th premiership. They then went on to win the
2014 World Club Challenge The 2014 World Club Challenge was the 15th consecutive annual (and 22nd overall) World Club Challenge and was contested by Super League XVIII champions, Wigan Warriors and 2013 NRL Premiers, the Sydney Roosters. The 2014 World Club Challenge mar ...
against Wigan 36–14 to claim the treble of club titles. No team in premiership history had come from a lower ladder position to win the following season's title. In the 2014 season, the club finished first on the table winning the Minor Premiership. In the Preliminary Final against arch rivals Souths, Sydney lost the match 32–22 in what was retiring legend Anthony Minichiello's final game. In the 2015 season, Sydney finished first on the table and claimed their third consecutive Minor Premiership. The Roosters again made the Preliminary Final with Brisbane this time being the opponents. The Roosters ended up losing the match 31–12 in front of a sold-out crowd at
Suncorp Stadium Lang Park, also known as Brisbane Football Stadium, by the sponsored name Suncorp Stadium, and nicknamed: 'The Cauldron', is a multi-purpose stadium in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Milton. The current facility co ...
. In the 2016 season, the Roosters finished 15th on the table after enduring a horror season where star player Mitchell Pearce was suspended for 8 matches, fined $A125,000 and stripped of the captaincy following a pre season incident where Pearce was intoxicated, simulated a sex act with a dog which was filmed on another party goer's mobile phone. The club also struggled due to injuries to star players such as
Boyd Cordner Boyd Cordner (born 9 June 1992) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a forward for the Sydney Roosters in the NRL and Australia at international level. He has played for Country Origin and New South Wales ...
and
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (born 20 January 1989) is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays as a for the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League (NRL) and New Zealand at international level. Waerea-Hargreaves started h ...
. The Roosters finished 2nd at the end of the 2017 season and defeated Brisbane in week one of the finals earning the week off. Sydney's opponents in the Preliminary Final were North Queensland who had finished in 8th position on the table and produced upset victories over Cronulla and Parramatta. In a game that the Roosters were expected to win, the Cowboys surprised everyone winning the match 29–16. In 2018, the Sydney Roosters finished in first place during the regular season, claiming their 20th Minor Premiership. They beat Cronulla-Sutherland 21–12 in week one of the finals, earning the week off. In March 2018, the NRL announced that the club had been successful in their bid for a team in the inaugural NRL Women's competition set to start in September of that year. This inclusion made Eastern Suburbs the only double foundation club in the league. The team would finish the season in second place , losing in the Grand Final to the Brisbane Broncos. The club then broke its preliminary final hoodoo by beating rivals South Sydney 12–4 in what was the last sports match ever played at the
Sydney Football Stadium The Sydney Football Stadium, commercially known as Allianz Stadium and previously Aussie Stadium, was a football stadium in Moore Park, Sydney, Australia. Built in 1988 next to the Sydney Cricket Ground, the stadium was Sydney's premier rect ...
. They managed to keep Souths tryless, and the crowd was the largest ever recorded in a sporting match at the Sydney Football Stadium with 44,380 people in attendance. The Roosters played Melbourne in the
2018 NRL Grand Final The 2018 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2018 National Rugby League season and was played on Sunday September 30 at Sydney's ANZ Stadium. The match was contested between minor premiers the Sydney Roosters ...
, and won 21–6 to claim their 14th premiership. The Roosters started the
2019 NRL season The 2019 NRL season was the 112th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 22nd season run by the National Rugby League. The Sydney Roosters became the first team to win back-to-back Premierships since the Brisbane Broncos in 1992 ...
with a round 1 loss against rivals Souths at the
Sydney Cricket Ground The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) is a sports stadium in Sydney, Australia. It is used for Test cricket, Test, One Day International and Twenty20 cricket, as well as, Australian rules football and occasionally for rugby league, rugby union and as ...
. The club then went on an eight-game winning run and defeated Melbourne 21–20 in the grand final rematch which was played at
AAMI Park The Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, known as AAMI Park for sponsorship reasons, is an outdoor sports stadium on the site of Edwin Flack Field in the Sports and Entertainment Precinct in the Melbourne central business district. When completed ...
. The Roosters also scored impressive victories over Brisbane 36–4 and Wests 42–12 which were both played at the
Sydney Cricket Ground The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) is a sports stadium in Sydney, Australia. It is used for Test cricket, Test, One Day International and Twenty20 cricket, as well as, Australian rules football and occasionally for rugby league, rugby union and as ...
. Midway through the
2019 NRL season The 2019 NRL season was the 112th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 22nd season run by the National Rugby League. The Sydney Roosters became the first team to win back-to-back Premierships since the Brisbane Broncos in 1992 ...
, Sydney suffered a drop in form during the
2019 State of Origin series The 2019 State of Origin series was the 38th annual best-of-three series between the Queensland and New South Wales rugby league teams. Before this series, Queensland had won 21 times, NSW 14 times, with two series drawn. For just the second t ...
period before recovering by winning 7 of their last 8 matches of the season to finish 2nd behind minor premiers Melbourne. The Roosters defeated rivals South Sydney and Melbourne to reach the
2019 NRL Grand Final The 2019 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2019 National Rugby League season and was played at Sydney's ANZ Stadium. The match was contested between defending premiers the Sydney Roosters and the Canberra Ra ...
. In the grand final, Sydney won their second consecutive premiership after a hard-fought victory against Canberra at
ANZ Stadium ANZ may refer to: People * Anz (musician), a British DJ and electronic musician Banks * ANZ (bank), Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited, the fourth-largest bank in Australia ** ANZ Bank New Zealand, the largest bank in New Zealand ...
. It was the first time that a team had won consecutive premierships in a unified competition since Brisbane achieved the feat in the 1992 and 1993 seasons. The club began the
2020 NRL season The 2020 NRL season was the 113th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 23rd season run by the National Rugby League. Teams The lineup of teams remained unchanged for the 14th consecutive year. ; Notes : : : Pre-season ...
once again as one of the teams to beat for the premiership but suffered back to back losses to start the year before the season was interrupted due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. After the return to play, the club won five matches in a row and only lost three matches between round 8 and round 20. The Roosters finished the season in 4th place and qualified for the finals. In week one of the finals, they were defeated by minor premiers Penrith which forced them into an elimination final match against Canberra. The Roosters quest for a third straight premiership was ended as they lost against Canberra 22–18 at the
Sydney Cricket Ground The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) is a sports stadium in Sydney, Australia. It is used for Test cricket, Test, One Day International and Twenty20 cricket, as well as, Australian rules football and occasionally for rugby league, rugby union and as ...
. The club began the
2021 NRL season The 2021 NRL season was the 114th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 24th season run by the National Rugby League. Teams The lineup of teams remained unchanged for the 15th consecutive year. Regular season Ladd ...
as one of the teams tipped to challenge for the premiership. In the opening two rounds of the year, the club defeated both Manly and the
Wests Tigers The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional Rugby league, rugby league football team, based in the Inner West and South West Sydney. They have competed in the National Rugby League since being formed at the end of the 1999 NRL season as a j ...
by 40 points. Throughout the season however, the club suffered one of the biggest injury tolls in recent history losing
Jake Friend Jake Friend (born 1 February 1990) is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played as a . He spent his entire first-grade career, spanning 2008 to 2021, with the Sydney Roosters in the NRL; at the time of his retirement, he was the c ...
,
Boyd Cordner Boyd Cordner (born 9 June 1992) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a forward for the Sydney Roosters in the NRL and Australia at international level. He has played for Country Origin and New South Wales ...
and
Brett Morris Brett Morris (born 23 August 1986) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played on the and as a for the St George Illawarra Dragons, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and the Sydney Roosters in the NRL and Australia at ...
to retirement and season ending injuries to
Luke Keary Luke Keary (born 3 February 1992) is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a or for the Sydney Roosters in the NRL and Australia and Ireland at international level. Keary previously played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, with w ...
,
Lindsay Collins Lindsay Collins may refer to: * Lindsay Collins (geologist) * Lindsay Collins (rugby league) Lindsay Collins (born 17 April 1996) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a for the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugb ...
,
Joseph Manu Joseph Manu is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays as a er or for the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League (NRL), and New Zealand at international level. Manu was a member of the 2018 and 2019 NRL Grand Fina ...
and Billy Smith. The Roosters were forced to blood nine debutants, including the likes of Sam Walker, Ben Marschke,
Egan Butcher Egan Butcher (born 8 May 2000) is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a er or for the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League (NRL). Background Egan Butcher played his junior rugby league for South Eastern Seagulls in t ...
and
Fletcher Baker Fletcher Baker (born 26 December 1999) is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a forward for the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League. Background Baker played his junior rugby league for the Muswellbrook Rams. Before ma ...
and call upon players from the club's feeder side the
North Sydney Bears The North Sydney Bears is an Australian rugby league football club based in North Sydney, New South Wales. The club competes in the New South Wales Cup, having exited the National Rugby League following the 1999 NRL season after 90 years in the ...
. The club also suffered injuries and suspensions to other key players such as
Victor Radley Victor Derrick Radley (born 14 March 1998) is an England international rugby league footballer who plays as a for the Sydney Roosters in the NRL. He won back-to-back NRL premierships with the Roosters in 2018 and 2019. Background Radley was ...
. The Roosters ended the
2021 NRL season The 2021 NRL season was the 114th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 24th season run by the National Rugby League. Teams The lineup of teams remained unchanged for the 15th consecutive year. Regular season Ladd ...
in fifth place and qualified for the finals. In week one of the finals, the club defeated the
Gold Coast Gold Coast may refer to: Places Africa * Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent nation of Ghana: ** Portuguese Gold Coast (Portuguese, 1482–1642) ** Dutch G ...
25–24. The following week, the Roosters season ended after losing 42–6 against Manly. In the
2022 NRL season The 2022 NRL season is the 115th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 25th season run by the National Rugby League. Teams The lineup of teams remained unchanged for the 16th consecutive year. This became the second longest s ...
, the club finished sixth on the table. The Sydney Roosters won eight straight matches late in the season, but were knocked out in the first week of the finals. The Sydney Roosters entered the
2023 NRL season The 2023 NRL season is the 116th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 26th season run by the National Rugby League. Teams For the 2023 season, the number of teams in the NRL has increased from sixteen to seventeen with the ...
as one of the favourites to take out the competition but by round 20, the club were sat 14th on the table. The tri-colours then went on to win their remaining five matches of the season against also-rans Manly, the Dolphins, Parramatta, Wests Tigers and lastly arch-rivals South Sydney to finish 7th on the table. In week one of the finals, the club would defeat an out of sorts Cronulla side to reach the second week with their opponent being Melbourne. Melbourne were heavy favourites going into the game but with only minutes remaining the Sydney Roosters were in front 13-12 before Melbourne scored a try through
William Warbrick William Warbrick (born 6 March 1998) is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays for the Melbourne Storm in the National Rugby League (NRL). Early life Warbrick was born and raised in Kawerau, New Zealand , of Māori peopl ...
to win the match 18-13. The match wasn't without controversy due to Melbourne scoring a try in the first half which came directly after Harry Grant had knocked the ball on from a cross-field kick, which was not called by referee Ashley Klein.


Emblem

Eastern Suburbs did not traditionally sport a crest on their jerseys in the first half of the 20th century. Other clubs occasionally sported simple designs on their strip; however, this was not seen consistently on all jerseys until the 1950s and 1960s. In 1967, the club introduced its first logo, displaying the mantra "Easts to Win", following a winless season. The crest also incorporated a
rooster The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...
or cockerel in the design; one source suggested that this choice of mascot followed after the Roosters' jersey design was inspired by the French national team's jersey. Given that the French team's mascot was affectionately known to supporters as ''le coq'', "the rooster", connections have been made as to the choosing of a rooster for Eastern Suburbs' mascot. In 1978, the mantra was replaced with the team's name, "Eastern Suburbs". This name was kept until 1994, when the club changed its team name to the "Sydney City Roosters" for the start of the 1995 season to appeal to the club's widening fan base. In 2000, the club shortened its name to the "Sydney Roosters". Although marketing names have changed, the Roosters are still registered with the National Rugby League competition as the Eastern Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club, the entity holding the NRL licence.


Colours

Red, white and blue have been the colours of every jersey design in the club's history; however, the jersey design has undergone several alterations. During World War II, the design of the jersey was modified because the dye used to colour jerseys was needed for the war effort. This saw Eastern Suburbs playing in different colours and an altered design. Instead of using the traditional hoops, the side used a sky-blue based jersey and a red and white V-strip around the collar. This is the only noted time in the club's history where the traditional deep blue, red and white combination was absent from the jersey. After the war, the V-strip design reverted to the original blue that had been present in the original jerseys, and the single red and white stripes around the shirt's chest were incorporated with a single white stripe surrounded by a red stripe on either side. This jersey appeared in the 1950s and remains the team's base design.


Primary jerseys

File:Eastern Suburbs Jersey 1908.png, 1908–1913 File:Eastern Suburbs Jersey 1914.png, 1914–1943, 1947–1953 File:Eastern Suburbs Jersey 1944.png, 1944–1946 File:Eastern Suburbs Jersey 1954.png, 1954–1974 File:Eastern Suburbs Jersey 1975.png, 1975–1991 File:Eastern Suburbs Jersey 1992.png, 1992–2007


Rivals

Main:
South Sydney Rabbitohs The South Sydney Rabbitohs are a professional Australian rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen pla ...
. Major:
St. George Illawarra Dragons The St. George Illawarra Dragons is an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing both the Illawarra and St George regions of New South Wales. The club has competed in the National Rugby League since 1999 after a joint-ve ...
,
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the NRL Telstra Premiership, as well as competitions facilita ...
,
Melbourne Storm The Melbourne Storm are a rugby league club based in Melbourne, Victoria in Australia that participates in the National Rugby League. The first fully professional rugby league team based in the state, the Storm entered the competition in 1998. ...
. Minor:
Penrith Panthers The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith that competes in the NRL. The team is based west of the centre of Sydney, at the foot of the Blue Mountains. Penrith ...
,
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Sydney's Northern Beaches. The team colours are maroon and white, while their namesake and logo is the sea eagle. They compete in Australia's premier rugb ...
,
Brisbane Broncos The Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Football Club Ltd., commonly referred to as the Broncos, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos play in Australia's elite com ...
,
Parramatta Eels The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta that competes in the National Rugby League. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, and their ...
,
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales. They compete in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australasia's premier rugby league ...
.


Head-to-head records


Stadium

Most sources suggest that the Royal Agricultural Ground was often used as a home venue between 1908 and 1910, before the club hosted matches at the
Sydney Sports Ground The Sydney Sports Ground No. 1 was a Stadium and Dirt track racing venue in Sydney, New South Wales. The ground was located where the car park of the Sydney Football Stadium (SFS) currently sits. The ground had two main grandstands and was surro ...
from 1911 onwards. It was here that the team played almost all of their home games up until 1986, when the ground was demolished with the
Sydney Cricket Ground The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) is a sports stadium in Sydney, Australia. It is used for Test cricket, Test, One Day International and Twenty20 cricket, as well as, Australian rules football and occasionally for rugby league, rugby union and as ...
No. 2 to make way for Sydney's main rectangular field, the
Sydney Football Stadium The Sydney Football Stadium, commercially known as Allianz Stadium and previously Aussie Stadium, was a football stadium in Moore Park, Sydney, Australia. Built in 1988 next to the Sydney Cricket Ground, the stadium was Sydney's premier rect ...
. In 1987, games were moved away to the
Newtown Jets The Newtown Jets are an Australian rugby league football club based in Newtown, a suburb of Sydney's inner west. They currently compete in the NSW Cup competition, having left the top grade after the 1983 NSWRFL season. The Jets' home ground ...
' home ground,
Henson Park Henson Park is a multi purpose sports ground in Marrickville, New South Wales, Australia. History It was established in 1933 on the site of Daley's brick pit, Thomas Daley operated the Standsure Brick Company from 1886 to 1914. The brickworks ...
, temporarily to await the completion of the Sydney Football Stadium. The team capitalised on this move, and under coach
Arthur Beetson Arthur Henry "Artie" Beetson OAM (21 January 1945 – 1 December 2011
finished second in the regular season, and narrowly missed playing in the grand final. It was the only time between 1983 and 1995 that the club reached the finals. In 1988, the club moved its home ground to the newly built Sydney Football Stadium on the site of the old Sydney Sports Ground, opening the season with a 24–14 defeat at the hands of the St George Dragons in front of 19,295 spectators on a wet night on 4 March 1988. At the Sydney Football Stadium, the Roosters have a 59% win record from 256 games with a 58% and 55% win record at former home grounds the Sydney Sports Ground and the Sydney Cricket Ground respectively. The Roosters played their last game, a Preliminary Final against South Sydney, at the Sydney Football Stadium on 22 September 2018 in front of a ground record crowd of 44,380. In 2019, the Sydney Roosters home became the Sydney Cricket Ground whilst the replacement
Sydney Football Stadium (2022) The Sydney Football Stadium, known commercially as Allianz Stadium, is a football stadium in Moore Park, Sydney, Australia. Built as a replacement for the original Sydney Football Stadium, it was officially opened on 28 August 2022. The groun ...
was being built.


Supporters

While the Sydney Roosters have supporters outside of its traditional area, its main fan base is in Sydney, which in the early days was concentrated in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs but has now branched out due to the changing demographics of that region with most fans of the club coming from outside the traditional area. They have an estimated 800k fans due to a club estimate. When calculating their 'average exposure value' across the 2019, 2020 and 2021 seasons it was determined that they were the most watched NRL club and the third most watched club across all sporting codes in Australia. They had 18.6 million game views in 2021 alone. In 2013 the club tallied the fourth-highest home attendance of all National Rugby League clubs (behind the
Brisbane Broncos The Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Football Club Ltd., commonly referred to as the Broncos, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos play in Australia's elite com ...
) with an average of 19,368 spectators at the
Sydney Football Stadium The Sydney Football Stadium, commercially known as Allianz Stadium and previously Aussie Stadium, was a football stadium in Moore Park, Sydney, Australia. Built in 1988 next to the Sydney Cricket Ground, the stadium was Sydney's premier rect ...
. Following the opening of the new
Sydney Football Stadium The Sydney Football Stadium, commercially known as Allianz Stadium and previously Aussie Stadium, was a football stadium in Moore Park, Sydney, Australia. Built in 1988 next to the Sydney Cricket Ground, the stadium was Sydney's premier rect ...
, during the 2023 season the Roosters recorded the third-highest average home attendence in the NRL and the highest outside of Queensland with an average of 22,898. At the club's home ground, the Sydney Football Stadium, the supporters congregate in distinct sections. The "Chook Pen", a designated area in Bay 35, is the preferred location for the most animated fans. Members of the Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Trust are seated in the Members Pavilion, and season ticket holders are located in Bays 12–14. In 2023, the Roosters had over 20,072 paying members which ranked them with the fifth most memberships out of the nine Sydney teams, in addition to the 46,486 members of the Easts Leagues Club, which is the major benefactor of the football club. The Easts Leagues Club and the Sydney Roosters "operate as one entity" known as the Easts Group. Under this arrangement, the Eastern Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club is the 'parent company' of the Easts Group. The Football Club delegates, however, overarching responsibility for both football and leagues club operations to a single general manager who oversees the group's performance. The leagues club provides financial support to the football club only when necessary as the football club's sponsorships and TV revenues are generally adequate to cover most Rugby League expenditures.


Notable supporters


Statistics and records

Mitchell Aubusson Mitchell Aubusson (born 1 October 1987) is a former Australian professional rugby league footballer who played as a and , spending his entire career with the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League, National Rugby League (NRL). He won thr ...
holds the record for the most first grade games (306), having surpassed
Anthony Minichiello Anthony Minichiello (born 24 May 1980) is a former professional rugby league footballer who captained the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League, and retired having set records for most games and most tries in the club's history. An Austr ...
's tally of 302 matches in round 24 of the 2020 season. Former team captain
Craig Fitzgibbon Craig Fitzgibbon (born 16 June 1977) is an Australian professional rugby league coach and a former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s and is the current head coach of Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. A Ne ...
holds the club record for scoring the most points, tallying 1,376 over his 210 matches. Fitzgibbon also broke the all-time point scoring record for a forward in the later rounds of 2006. Dave Brown's tally of 45 points (five tries and 15 goals) in a single match against
Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. ...
in 1935 remains a competition record after more than seven decades.
Ivan Cleary Ivan Cleary (born 1 March 1971) is an Australian professional rugby league coach who is the head coach of the Penrith Panthers in the NRL and a former professional rugby league footballer who played as a and in the 1990s and 2000s. He is a ...
scored 284 points in 1998, which at the time was an all-time points scoring record in a season.
Bill Mullins William Mullins (born 30 January 1948 in Campsie, New South Wales) is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played during the 1960s and 1970s in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership, the major rugby league competition in A ...
, father of 2002 premiership player
Brett Brett derives from a Middle English surname meaning "Briton" or "Breton", referring to the Celtic people of Britain and Brittany, France. Brette can be a feminine name. People with the surname * Adrian Brett (born 1945) English flutist and writer ...
, scored 104 tries in his 11-year, 190-game career with Eastern Suburbs between 1968 and 1978, meaning that on average, he scored at least one try every two games.
Anthony Minichiello Anthony Minichiello (born 24 May 1980) is a former professional rugby league footballer who captained the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League, and retired having set records for most games and most tries in the club's history. An Austr ...
became the highest try scorer in the Roosters history when he scored his 105th try against the
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...
at
Ausgrid Stadium Newcastle International Sports Centre, known as McDonald Jones Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose sports stadium located in Newcastle, Australia. The ground is home to the Newcastle Knights (National Rugby League) and Newcast ...
in June 2011. 'Mini' finally retired after the 2014 season, and ended his career with 139 tries. He is also the first fullback in 70 years to win the Grand Final (2013), while captaining the club.
Rod O'Loan Roderick John Charles O'Loan, MBE, CBE (1915–1992) was an Australian rugby league footballer for the Eastern Suburbs club in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership. He was also a businessman and a war veteran of distinction. Sp ...
scored seven tries in a single match against
Sydney University The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's six ...
in 1935, and Dave Brown's 38 tries in 15 games in the same year remains a competition record. In 1975, the Eastern Suburbs Roosters set a record 19-match winning streak on their way to their 11th premiership. In a 1935 match against Canterbury, Dave Brown scored 45 points, the highest score and victory margin for the club (the 87–7 scoreline is equivalent to 106–8 under the contemporary scoring system). The winning margin is the second largest overall, behind St. George's 91–6 win over Canterbury a week earlier. The club's record attendance for a regular season game at its home ground—the Sydney Football Stadium—stands at 40,864, achieved in a match on
ANZAC Day , image = Dawn service gnangarra 03.jpg , caption = Anzac Day Dawn Service at Kings Park, Western Australia, 25 April 2009, 94th anniversary. , observedby = Australia Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Cook Islands New ...
against the
St George Illawarra Dragons The St. George Illawarra Dragons is an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing both the Illawarra and St George regions of New South Wales. The club has competed in the National Rugby League since 1999 after a joint- ...
in 2017. The club's record attendance for a regular season game at the SCG stands at 50,130 on 4 May 1974 against the Manly Sea Eagles The 2000 grand final between the Sydney Roosters and the
Brisbane Broncos The Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Football Club Ltd., commonly referred to as the Broncos, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos play in Australia's elite com ...
attracted 94,277 spectators to the Olympic Stadium.


Squads


Current squad


Team of the Century

In 2000, the Sydney Roosters named their "Team of the Century", which included players from 1908 to 2000. The official team is listed below along with their Sydney Roosters
cap A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal se ...
number.


The Centurions

In 2007, the Sydney Roosters announced "The Centurions", a team consisting of those regarded as the greatest players to have played 100 or more games for the club between 1908 and 2007. The team was selected by Ray Chesterton, Ian Heads, David Middleton and Alan Clarkson and was unveiled at the centenary season launch at the Michael Algeri Pavilion on 10 March 2007.


Honours


Titles

Premierships – 15
1911, 1912, 1913, 1923, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1940, 1945, 1974, 1975, 2002, 2013, 2018, 2019 Runners-up – 15
1908, 1919, 1921, 1928, 1931, 1934, 1938, 1941, 1960, 1972, 1980, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2010 Minor Premierships – 20
1912, 1913, 1923, 1931, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1940, 1941, 1945, 1974, 1975, 1980, 1981, 2004, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018
World Club Challenge The World Club Challenge is an annual rugby league competition between the winners of the Australasian National Rugby League (NRL) and the European Super League, for the de facto club world championship of the sport. The first such match was pl ...
– 5
1976, 2003, 2014, 2019, 2020
Amco Cup The Amco Cup (subsequently known by various other sponsors' names including the Tooth Cup, KB Cup, National Panasonic Cup and Panasonic Cup) was a mid-week rugby league competition held in Australia between 1974 and 1989. The format was usual ...
– 2
1975, 1978
City Cup The City Cup was a rugby league competition involving Australian premiership teams. The post season tournament was a regular feature in the years 1912–1925. City Cups were also played in 1937, 1942 and 1959. The inaugural city cup was contested ...
– 3
1914, 1915, 1916
Auckland Nines The NRL Nines is a rugby league nines competition, normally held during the NRL preseason each year. It was initially held in Auckland, New Zealand, between 2014 and 2017 before going on hiatus. Returning in 2020, hosting duties moved to Perth ...
– 1
2017
World Sevens The SVNS, known as the HSBC SVNS for Naming rights, sponsorship reasons, is an annual series of international rugby sevens tournaments run by World Rugby featuring national sevens teams. Organised for the first time in the 1999–2000 season as ...
– 1
1993


Youth/Pre-season Titles

Club Championship – 12
1930, 1931, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1945, 1970, 1974, 1975, 2004, 2006 Second Grade – 9
1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1935, 1937, 1949, 1986, 2004 Third Grade/Under 23 – 11
1914, 1917, 1924, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1941, 1947, 1970, 1976 Preseason Cup – 4
1974, 1977, 1979, 1981 Under-20s Competition – 1
2016
Jersey Flegg Cup The Jersey Flegg Cup is a junior rugby league competition played in New South Wales, contested among teams made up of players aged 21 or under. The competition is administered by the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL), and is named for Easter ...
– 3
1995, 2002, 2004
Presidents Cup The Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world minus Europe. Europe competes against the United States in a similar but considerably ...
– 16
1910, 1911, 1913, 1915, 1920, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1927, 1938, 1948, 1949, 1955, 1978, 1987, 1993
S. G. Ball Cup The S. G. Ball Cup is a junior rugby league football competition played predominantly in New South Wales, between teams made up of players aged under 19. Teams from Canberra and Melbourne (Victoria Thunderbolts) also participate. Prior to the C ...
– 4
1997, 2008, 2010, 2014 The Knock On Effect NSW Cup – 0
NRL State Championship The NRL State Championship is a rugby league match contested by the premiers of the two elite second-tier competitions in Australia, the New South Wales Cup and the Queensland Cup. The match has been played as a curtain-raiser to the NRL Grand F ...
– 0


Women's team

On 27 March 2018, the Sydney Roosters applied for, and won, a license to participate in the inaugural
2018 NRL Women's season The 2018 NRL Women's Premiership (NRLW) was the first season of professional women's rugby league in Australia. Teams Pre-season Only two of the four sides, the Brisbane Broncos and New Zealand Warriors, took part in pre-season trial games. T ...
.
Adam Hartigan Adam; el, Ἀδάμ, Adám; la, Adam is the name given in Genesis 1-5 to the first human. Beyond its use as the name of the first man, ''adam'' is also used in the Bible as a pronoun, individually as "a human" and in a collective sense as ...
was named as the coach of the women's side. In June 2018, the club used up the maximum of fifteen marquee signings ahead of the inaugural season which subsequently commenced in September. Players signed included
Karina Brown Karina Brown (born 9 March 1989) is an Australian rugby league footballer who plays for the Gold Coast Titans Women in the NRL Women's Premiership and the Burleigh Bears in the QRL Women's Premiership. A or er, she is a Queensland and Austr ...
,
Isabelle Kelly Isabelle Maree Kelly (born 20 September 1996) is an Australian rugby league footballer who plays for the Sydney Roosters in the NRL Women's Premiership and the Central Coast Roosters in the NSWRL Women's Premiership. Primarily a , she is an Au ...
and
Ruan Sims Ruan Sims (born 4 February 1982) is an Australian former rugby league and rugby union footballer. She played rugby union for . She was a member of the Wallaroos squad at the 2006, and 2010 Rugby World Cup where they finished in third place. ...
. The club finished runners-up in the inaugural
NRL Women's Premiership The Telstra NRL Women's Premiership (NRLW) is Australia's national rugby league competition for women's rugby league in Australia, female players. The first season of the league began in September 2018 with four teams. The league is run by the ...
, losing to the
Brisbane Broncos The Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Football Club Ltd., commonly referred to as the Broncos, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos play in Australia's elite com ...
by 34–12 in the
2018 NRL Women's Premiership Grand Final The 2018 NRL Women's Premiership (NRLW) was the first season of professional women's rugby league in Australia. Teams Pre-season Only two of the four sides, the Brisbane Broncos and New Zealand Warriors, took part in pre-season trial games. T ...
. Zahara Temara claimed the 2018 Player of the Season award. In 2019, Rick Stone took over as coach. The club, however, failed to win a match, claiming the wooden spoon. Tallisha Harden was awarded the club's Best & Fairest Player for the 2019 season. Jamie Feeney was appointed the head coach for the 2020 season, being determined to turn the club's fortunes around. He was assisted by Kylie Hilder and John Strange. Feeney immediately appointed Corban McGregor as the club's new captain. The club also announced the big signing of Sevens Rugby star and 2016 Gold Medalist, Charlotte Caslick.


Current squad


Footnotes


References

* * * *


External links

* {{Sydney Sports Teams National Rugby League clubs Fan-owned football clubs 1908 establishments in Australia Rugby clubs established in 1908