The Sydney Roosters have lost recruitment guru Clint Zammit to a mid-season move to the Cowboys, which might have major ramifications for their attempts to lure Kalyn Ponga.
The Daily Telegraph reported on Tuesday that Zammit informed Roosters bosses of his decision to head home to Townsville to support his father in ill-health.
“I’ll forever be grateful for the opportunity at the Roosters,” Zammit said. “They are such a great club and I’m sure they’ll be in a position over the next few years to stay where they belong among the top clubs.”
Zammit’s decision to leave the Roosters could be a major blow to their chances of signing Ponga. The superstar fullback is off contract with the Newcastle Knights at the end of 2027, and has continually been linked to the high-profile Bondi club.
A key link between Ponga and the Roosters was Zammit, who previously worked with the fullback at both the Knights and Cowboys. As well as being responsible for recruiting Ponga to North Queensland in 2013, Zammit also helped him negotiate the current $1.4 million contract he’s on at Newcastle.
“I think the primary reason for that is one of their recruitment officers there, Clint Zammit, has had a huge involvement with Kalyn all throughout the course of his career, dating back to the Cowboys. He did his most-recent deal at the Knights and made him the highest-paid player in the game.”
Kalyn Ponga to the Roosters not just a rumour
The popular theory is that Ponga might view the Roosters as a better option than the Knights if he wants to win a premiership. Whether Zammit’s exit is enough to discourage him from moving remains to be seen, although Ponga’s good mate Connor Watson is still at the Roosters as well.
Last month, journalist Andrew Webster declared the Ponga to Roosters theory isn’t just a rumour, and the Bondi club are seriously interested. “There’s been all this talk that Kalyn Ponga to the Roosters is speculative because of his relationship with Roosters recruitment manager Clint Zammit, well take it to the absolute bank that it’s more than that. This is on,” Webster said on SEN radio.
“The Roosters are definitely looking at trying to get Ponga there from 2028 onwards and it’s all part of a bigger rebuild at that club…[Nick Politis] will want a kill before he finishes and that kill, I have no doubt, is Kalyn Ponga at the Roosters.”
Webster said he believes Newcastle’s $13 million deal for Dylan Brown is just as much a contingency plan in the event that Ponga leaves, as it is about recruiting another marquee star to play alongside their captain. “I’ve got no doubt that the Dylan Brown deal at the Knights was as much about getting a quality playmaker, but also insurance in case Kalyn goes,” Webster added.
“I want to make this clear. I’m not saying hat he wants out, I’m not saying he’s unhappy … but he wants to win a comp. If he can’t get it done with Dylan Brown there in 2026 and 2027 he might want to have a look at being part of a revolution with the Roosters from 2028 onwards.”
