Jared Waerea-Hargreaves will be back in the NRL in 2026, with reports confirming the veteran forward is set for a return to the Sydney Roosters in a coaching and mentoring capacity.
The 35-year-old has spent just a single season in England with Hull KR, helping the Robins lift both the Challenge Cup and the League Leaders’ Shield, and could yet sign off with a historic treble if they add the Grand Final to their collection.
MORE: Every NRL club's Player of the Year and award winners
Hull KR had long confirmed that Waerea-Hargreaves would hang up his boots at the end of 2025, but speculation lingered over whether he might remain at Craven Park in a backroom role. Instead, the Sydney Morning Herald reports he will head back to Australia to re-join the club where he made his name, guiding the Roosters’ younger brigade in the early stages of their careers.
From Robins glory to Roosters legacy
For Waerea-Hargreaves, it marks a fitting bookend to a remarkable career. After more than a decade of dominance in Bondi colours, he moved to Super League for one last challenge, instantly becoming a cornerstone of Willie Peters’ Robins side.
MORE: Which players are leaving the Canberra Raiders?
He will not be the only former Rooster returning to the NRL in a new guise. Luke Keary, who had a two-year deal with Catalans Dragons, has cut his playing career short after a difficult year in France and will take up a coaching role with Justin Holbrook’s Newcastle Knights.
But unlike Keary, Waerea-Hargreaves still has the chance to script a fairytale ending on the field. A Grand Final victory with Hull KR would give him the perfect send-off before returning home to continue shaping the next generation at the Roosters.