‘I felt a lot worse’: Walker’s warning in Roosters pivotal $5m resting call

South Sydney five-eighth Cody Walker says the Roosters have earned the right to rest roughly $5 million in NRL talent from Friday night’s marquee clash, but the NRL’s second-oldest player warned that he actually felt worse the last time he returned from an unscheduled week off.

With the Tricolours locked into a top-four finish regardless of results this weekend, coach Trent Robinson has rested a host of big names , headlined by captain James Tedesco, veteran playmaker Daly Cherry-Evans, Origin stars Mark Nawaqanitawase, Reece Robson and Rob Toia, as well as key first-graders Hugo Savala, Naufahu Whyte, Siua Wong and Billy Smith.

Souths won’t risk Tallis Duncan (hamstring tightness) going into the finals. But the Rabbitohs will otherwise be at near-full strength with Latrell Mitchell named in the centres for what is traditionally one of the biggest games of the season.

Robinson’s call to wrap nine of his best in cotton wool means Cherry-Evans and Savala will go into the finals cold as a halves pairing following Sam Walker’s likely season-ending ankle injury last Saturday.

Tedesco also conceded on Nine’s Today Show that given “I have played one game over the past month (due to his own ankle injury) I was keen to play”, but understood Robinson’s decision.

Walker said while South Sydney’s top-eight spot is also shored up, their chances of securing a home final with victory over their arch-rivals meant widespread resting wasn’t entertained by coach Wayne Bennett, or that he would have wanted a break in any case.

“I had a week off recently when I was suspended for the Knights game [serving a one-game ban for kicking Penrith’s Jack Cogger ] and when I came back I actually felt a lot worse for that rest,” Walker said.

“I’m not sure why. I just felt a bit more tired than I usually do, I felt out of rhythm and I just didn’t like having to sit out. So this week I was definitely keen to play and I know the rest of our guys are too. It’s hard for me to comment on the Roosters because I’m not inside their walls.

“You don’t know what kind of niggling injuries players are carrying at this time of year, who is getting needled up to play and to be fair to them, they’ve put themselves in that top four where they can afford to rest players.”

Walker, who will succeed Cherry-Evans as the game’s oldest player if he carries on as planned in 2027, has played all games this season bar the one he missed through suspension.

The Roosters and Sharks have both raised eyebrows in resting key players leading into the finals given their indifferent form.

The Tricolours have fallen from first to fourth on the back of consecutive defeats, while Cronulla have lost three of their last four to teams out of finals contention.

A near-capacity crowd is forecast for the South Sydney home game against the Roosters at Allianz Stadium, which will also honour retired Rabbitohs forward Jai Arrow , who will lead the Bunnies out in his 100th game for the club before being replaced by Walker before kick-off.

“It’s a massive occasion for us, specifically paying tribute to [Arrow] is a big part of that, but so is anytime we play against the Roosters,” Walker said.