Sydney Roosters star Angus Crichton has revealed club powerbrokers told him 2024 would be his last season with the club before an irresistible run of form prompted a two-year contract extension.
Months of speculation was officially put to bed on Monday when the back-rower signed the new deal, keeping him at the club’s Moore Park base until 2026.
The contract seemed off the table when Crichton started the season in reserve grade, however he has developed into the form edge forward in the competition and terrorised the Queensland defence during the Blues’ dominant victory in Origin Two.
The 28-year-old concedes he had a point to prove throughout the first 17 weeks of the season but said a bigger motivation was driving him to perform in 2024.
Crichton continues his outstanding form
“I was told it was going to be my last year,” Crichton said. “My thinking was I wanted to come back in and finish on a high and play some good footy to respect some of these legends like [Luke] Keary, Jared [Waerea-Hargreaves]. I wanted to make sure I was part of their last season here.
“That was really important to me, playing the last year with those boys and trying to do something special with them.”
Crichton’s new deal caps a remarkable turnaround after he battled mental illness ahead of the 2023 season. The forward struggled last year and faced an uphill battle to return to the Roosters side in 2024 after he was omitted from the team that opened the season in Las Vegas.
Club officials then attempted to lure Gold Coast star David Fifita to Sydney, with the forward agreeing to terms before backflipping on the deal.
Crichton expressed his frustration at the time over the way the situation was handled, as he attempted to map out his future amid a potential move to the UK Super League, French rugby union or a rival NRL club.
Fifita’s backflip opened the door for the Roosters to come to the table, with Crichton’s preference always to remain with the side.
In the end, the outcome was a blessing in disguise for the Roosters and captain James Tedesco expects the forward to build on this year’s impressive run of form.
“He’s had a really up and down 18 months, and even during this year, he didn’t start at the start of the year, there was Fifita, he didn’t know what he was going to do really,” Tedesco said.
“I’m really glad that he worked it all out and he could stay with the club because he’s been probably the best back-rower in the comp the last month or two.
“That’s a real positive for us, and I’m just glad that he’s back to his best because he obviously was up and down last year and he wasn’t happy with how it was all going.
“You look at the Origin game last Wednesday, apart from Mitch [Moses] he was probably the best player on the field. So, he’s going to be a big part of this club in the future and I’m just glad he could stay.”
While Crichton’s form has come out of nowhere to some outsiders, it has not surprised those closest to him.
Roosters teammate Connor Watson has formed a close bond during his time at the club and has watched his friend overcome multiple obstacles throughout the past two years.
Crichton, he says, returned for preseason training with a fresh outlook and a renewed motivation to save his career.
“The resilience he’s shown, playing last year without a pre-season, it’s hard to do,” Watson said.
“This year he had a big focus on coming in, having as good a pre-season as he could and he trained the house down. One thing he always does is he trains the house down, much like Jared.
“It was just about getting a full pre-season in and using last year as a bit of motivation. Now he’s playing the best footy I’ve ever seen him play, he’s that hard to handle, he’s an absolute beast.
“His Origin game the other night was as good as I’ve seen for a long time from a backrower. He was an Australian backrower two years ago but I think at the moment he’s playing the best footy he’s ever played.”
Crichton’s new deal comes as the Roosters navigate a roster refresh while attempting to keep their premiership window open. They currently sit fourth on the ladder and are among the contenders to lift the trophy in October.
Waerea-Hargreaves headlines a crop of veterans departing, with Keary retiring, Joseph Manu is moving to Japanese rugby and exciting youngster Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i has signed a deal with the Waratahs.
Mark Nawaqanitawase will join the club after the Paris Olympics, with the Roosters also reportedly in talks with Cowboys halfback Chad Townsend.
The premiership winner is approaching the end of his career and Tedesco said he’d act as an excellent mentor for emerging halves Sam Walker and Sandon Smith.
“Having two young guys like Sam and Sandon, it’s handy to have an experienced leader like Chad,” Tedesco said. “He’s been around the game for a long time now, he’s had success, won a grand final, he’s led different teams to success.
“That’s a win-win for all of us, have Chad’s experience here if we need him, but just guiding the young halves with his experience and leadership is going to be a big positive for us. I’m not sure if it’s confirmed yet, but I think it’s a win-win for both.”