Auckland‑raised Salesi Foketi, the 21‑year‑old recruit who joined the Roosters last year, has built a growing list of high‑profile victims that now includes Queensland and Australian representative Lindsay Collins and fellow back‑rower Victor Radley.
In his first year of first‑grade football, Foketi delivered a textbook hit on Collins during the opening pre‑season session, sending the seasoned forward onto his back. “I ran at him and he just folded me like a deck chair,” Collins recalled, adding that the encounter was a “real dagger to ego.”
Radley, who has also been on the receiving end of Foketi’s physicality, described the youngster as “fearless” and noted his aggressive approach in academy wrestling sessions, saying, “He’s quiet, but he’s got that look in his eye – he’s fierce.”
Foketi’s impact has extended beyond training. He man‑handled Dolphins play‑maker Isaiya Katoa on the way to a try in the Roosters’ 26‑12 loss to the Dolphins a month ago, and his hard‑hitting style was on display again when he helped the team secure a semi‑final win over Cronulla.
With veteran back‑rower Angus Crichton sidelined by minor foot surgery, Foketi was handed the No.11 jersey and has retained his spot even after Crichton’s brief return. Crichton is set to leave the club for rugby at the end of the season, joining a wave of departures that also includes utility Connor Watson.
Coach Boyd Cordner and club legend Boyd Cordner have helped refine Foketi’s technique. Collins praised his “beautiful tackle technique,” noting that Foketi gets under the ball and uses a classic, hard‑run style that the modern, faster game has begun to lose.
The Roosters are increasingly relying on academy‑grown talent, and Foketi’s rapid rise signals a changing of the guard in the club’s back‑row as they head into the preliminary final at Suncorp Stadium against the Dolphins.