Super League signing’s NRL career could be over after another big ban

Sydney Roosters man Jared Waerea-Hargreaves may never play another NRL game ahead of his move to Super League.

The 35-year old has been playing NRL since 2009, when he started out with Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, and this year has been in his fifteenth year with the Roosters.

‘JWH’ has won three NRL Premierships, being part of Grand Final-winning sides in 2013, 2018 and 2019, and has been a named in NRL All Star sides.

He’s also represented New Zealand since 2009, playing every game as they eventually lost in the 2013 World Cup final.

This year, he made his 300th appearance for Sydney Roosters, against NZ Warriors – a game he was sin-binned in.

He has since become the club’s record appearance-maker in first-grade games.

Super League signing may have had his NRL career ended after monster ban

Waerea-Hargreaves has been banned three times for dangerous tackles this year alone and was sanctioned this week after a game against Gold Coast Titans.

He was sin-binned after tackling Titans hooker Sam Verrills early in the game, and has now been handed a three-game ban for a Grade Two ‘careless high tackle’.

Being his third offence, this means he will miss three games – or four if he appeals and doesn’t win that appeal.

There are two games left of the regular season – meaning he’ll miss the rest of the regular season and the first round of the playoffs.

If the Roosters were to drop out of the top four in the table and lose in the resulting elimination final, the prop would have already played his final NRL game in a long career.

That’s because he has signed with Super League table-topping Hull KR in a one-year deal for 2025, in a move that should further strengthen a side that has been excellent this season, but that has been lucky with injuries this season.

Further depth will be vital if that luck runs out, and the Robins seem to be building very well going forward.