04-07-2025
Another teammate joins Cobbo in leaving Broncos as Roosters lose star's brother
The Brisbane Broncos have reportedly lost another outside-back from their NRL squad, with uncapped winger Israel Leota set to switch to rugby union. The is reporting that 20-year-old Leota will join Super Rugby outfit Moana Pasifika in 2026 after being convinced to switch by All Blacks legend Tana Umaga.
Leota is yet to make his first-grade debut with the Broncos, but is viewed as a talented prospect in the making. The hulking winger has scored 18 tries in 21 games with the Broncos' feeder club Souths Logan in Queensland Cup, and has been knocking on the door of a first-grade debut.
But the 20-year-old has been stuck behind the likes of Selwyn Cobbo, Jesse Arthars, Gehamat Shibasaki, Josiah Karapani and Deine Mariner in Brisbane. He's now reportedly decided to pursue a career in New Zealand rugby after playing the rival code as a teenager.
'I went to union for a year because I was going to a GPS school and I switched and played some AFL,' Leota told the QRL website in 2023. 'I only came back to playing league when I was 16, went to Souths Acacia Ridge to play with my mates and now I'm here. As a young kid growing up, every young kid from Queensland wants to play for the Broncos and Queensland.'
Leota joins Cobbo and Latrell Siegwalt as Broncos squad players set to depart the club in 2026. Cobbo has signed a one-year deal with the Dolphins after falling out of favour with coach Michael Maguire, while back-up fullback Siegwalt has reportedly signed with South Sydney.
In a flurry of moves around club-land on Thursday, Sam Walker's younger brother Tyson reportedly signed with North Queensland. The 17-year-old playmaker was part of the Roosters' premiership-winning SG Ball Cup team (Under-21s) this year, but a future at the Bondi club appeared unlikely.
The Roosters have a litany of halves options, with older brother Sam set to play halfback when he returns from a broken hand. Young guns Hugo Savala and Sandon Smith have been playing brilliantly in 2025, while the Roosters are also expected to sign Daly Cherry-Evans for 2026.
The Cowboys have also poached rising Roosters playmaker Tyson Walker, younger brother of Sam starred in the Roosters' SG Ball premiership-winning side this year, but with a crowded halves room at Bondi, he's opted to head north to join North Queensland.(DT)
— NRLCentral (@centralNRL) July 3, 2025
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Speaking earlier this year, Tyson said it was a dream of his to play first-grade alongside brother Sam. "I come from a long background of footy players, but it's been really good having my brother here to help me out and get away from home, which is a big step," Tyson told .
"Definitely still a long way to the NRL, but I've known for a long time that I wanted to play rugby league. That's pretty much all I want to do. I don't have any other aspirations for now, that's for sure."
Sam and Tyson's father Ben played for the Broncos, Manly, Northern Eagles and South Sydney Rabbitohs. Their uncles Chris and Shane were also NRL stars, with Chris playing State of Origin for Queensland.
Tyson is the latest young gun to depart the Roosters. Mikey Nassar, who played fullback in the same SG Ball Cup team that won the 2025 premiership, is now at the Bulldogs.
