He was released in December.
Va’a was released by the tri-colours at the end of December after making a solitary NRL appearance back in the middle of 2024.
The prop, who was signed by the Roosters out of the Broncos academy alongside brother De La Salle faced a tricky run of injuries during his time at Bondi.
De La Salle remains with the Roosters and will push for NRL action throughout 2026, while Xavier should become a part of the best 17 at the York Knights, who have been promoted to the Super League for 2026.
“He comes highly recommended and his footage looks exactly like the sort of player we were after, but more importantly he seems the kind of player who will fit the culture we have at York,” head coach Mark Applegarth told the club website., external
“He’s come here to improve and to make his mark and he’ll add a lot of depth to our pack and a lot of punch.”
The prop, who stands at 195 centimetres tall and weighs in at 114 kilograms, has been touted as one of the best young forwards in the game, and has 44 NSW Cup appearances to his name, including 12 throughout 2025 where he was strong in the middle third.
