Junior Pauga and Sandon Smith will make their debuts for the Sydney Roosters this afternoon at Industree Group Stadium.
Junior Pauga
A forced to be reckoned with on the wing in NSW Cup, Junior Pauga will make his Club debut as Sydney Roosters player #1217 today.
Born in Otahuhu, New Zealand, Pauga first appearance in the NYC Cup for the New Zealand Warriors, before moving to Queensland to join the Wynnum Manly Seagulls.
The 27-year-old claimed seven tries in 18 Intrust Super Cup appearances for the Seagulls, before joining the Wests Tigers pathways in 2021, where he made his NRL debut on July 18 against the Brisbane Broncos.
Since joining the Roosters, Pauga has been a stand-out in the NSW Cup competition playing for the North Sydney Bears. He is leading the league for most tries scored (14) and linebreaks (15) this season, averaging 170 run metres per match.
In his most recent appearance, the winger crossed for four tries to help the Bears down the Bulldogs at North Sydney Oval and he'll be looking to make a similar statement when he dons the Tricolours for his fifth NRL match this afternoon.
| Name | Junior Pauga |
| Date of Birth | 03/02/1996 |
| Reserve Grade Games | 37 - New Zealand Warriors (2016-2018) 18 - Wynnum Manly Seagulls (2019-2021) 26 - Wests Tigers (2021-2022) 11 - North Sydney Bears (2023) |
| 2023 NSW Cup Stats | 14 Tries 4 Try Assists 64 Tackle Breaks 15 Linebreaks 72 Tackles Made 170 Average Running Metres |
Sandon Smith
Sydney Roosters NSW Cup Captain Sandon Smith will make his NRL debut as the 1218th player to ever pull on the Red, White and Blue jersey at first grade level.
The Kincumber Colts junior pioneered the Roosters’ Central Coast pathways system after being recruited by John Strange at the age of 15. He started his rugby league journey in the Harold Matthews Cup competition (Central Coast Roosters) before progressing to SG Ball.
Smith has received the Central Coast Roosters Rising Star Award as well as the SG Ball Player of the Year award in the past five years - recognised for his diligence and leadership, regardless of which position he plays.
In season 2023, Smith has skyrocketed to the top of the NSW Cup statistics leaderboard for try assists (17) and linebreak assists (16).
The 20-year-old has also scored two tries and kicked 28 goals this season. He averages 89 run metres per match, and has forced eight drop-outs and offloaded the ball three times while featuring at both fullback and halfback.
| Name | Sandon Smith |
| Date of Birth | 06/12/2002 |
| Reserve Grade Games | 23 - North Sydney Bears (2022) 12 - Sydney Roosters (2023) |
| 2023 NSW Cup Stats | 2 Tries 28 Goals 8 Forced Drop Outs 17 Try Assists 3 Offloads 159 Tackles Made 89 Average Running Metres |
| Awards and Achievements | Central Coast Roosters Rising Star Award (2018) SG Ball Player of the Year (2021) |
