Victor Radley in huge NRL finals development for Roosters after Braith Anasta revelation

Victor Radley is being tipped to make a shock return to play for the Roosters in Saturday night's NRL semi-final showdown with Manly, with club great Braith Anasta revealing some inside information from billionaire club chairman, Nick Politis. The Roosters enforcer was on Tuesday named on the extended bench for the finals clash with Manly, despite suffering a fracture to his left scapula less than three weeks ago.

Radley picked up the injury in the round 26 loss to the Raiders and looked as though he'd be out of finals contention for the Roosters. But the injury didn’t require surgery and the club has been impressed with Radley's progress, hence the decision by coach Trent Robinson to name him in the extended squad.

Even so, many would have probably expected Radley to drop out when the Roosters finalise their playing squad later this week. However, club great Anasta revealed on NRL 360 on Tuesday night that he's been told by billionaire Roosters powerbroker Politis that the 26-year-old enforcer has been "preparing to play" in Saturday night's crunch clash with the Sea Eagles.

Victor Radley 'preparing to play' semi-final against Manly

“The Roosters have named Victor Radley on the extended bench,” Anasta said on NRL 360. “I spoke to Nick Politis today and Radley is preparing to play this week." It would be a miraculous return from a very injury if Radley was named in the Roosters 17, with league journalist Paul Crawley pointing out it's the same injury that Cooper Cronk played through in the Roosters' 2018 grand final triumph.

But while Cronk was able to manage the issue at halfback and allow Luke Keary to assume the bulk of the playmaking duties, Radley's position in the back-row requires a much greater level of physicality and would represent a huge gamble from the Roosters. “It’s a big call, it is the same injury as Cooper Cronk had going into the 2018 Grand Final,” Crawley said.

“The difference is Cronk played that overseeing manager sort of role and Luke Keary took the reins of the team that day. Victor Radley is a bruising back-rower that can’t protect his shoulders. So if he takes the field there is no excuses because they have got good back-rowers there.”

Victor Radley's inclusion would be huge gamble by Roosters

Anasta noted that Radley is one of the toughest and hard-hitting forwards in the game but said the biggest risk would be if he's cleared to play and then aggravates the injury early on and is ruled out for the remainder of the match. “It is a tricky one whether he plays or not because he plays so tough,” Anasta said.

“It has been three weeks. Look at the way he plays and he has got a fractured scapula. The problem with this is he could go out and in the first tackle he goes, its no good. Then he’s out for the match and you have got one less on the interchange. So it is a decision that Trent Robinson, Victor Radley and the medical staff need to make. I think they will give him until Friday, but it is a big call.”

Radley would likely either replace Sitili Tupouniua on the right edge of the Roosters backrow or come onto the interchange bench at the expense of Siua Wong, if he is named in the Roosters' final 17. The Roosters will also get back veteran prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves from his three-game suspension, with skipper James Tedesco hailing the influence of the departing veteran but warning him to keep his head against Manly.

RELATED:

• Glaring Clint Gutherson issue pointed out amid huge shake-up at Eels

• Detail in Nicho Hynes interview singled out after shock axing call

“He brings that brutality that we definitely missed on the weekend against Penrith,” Tedesco said this week. “I know he’s been firing at training and he’s ready to go. He’s testing us out on the other side, and I know he’s going to bring that to us. We just need to make sure that he doesn’t step over that line.”

The Roosters have also stuck with Sandon Smith for the game against Manly, despite the young halfback admitting he had a "tough night" in the big defeat to Penrith. Manly have named an unchanged side from the one that eliminated the Bulldogs in a sudden-death thriller last Sunday, with winger Jason Saab still out with an ankle injury.

with AAP