As the National Rugby League (NRL) 2024 season kicks into high gear, Sydney Roosters utility Hugo Savala has delivered a statement performance against the Newcastle Knights at Allianz Stadium on Sunday afternoon that has sent shockwaves through the competition. The 24-year-old’s off-script, game-changing play late in the first half has left rival coaches and analysts warning that the Roosters have a dangerous new weapon at their disposal.
Savala’s role at the club has been the subject of intense speculation throughout the off-season. Following the high-profile signing of veteran playmaker Daly Cherry-Evans from Manly Sea Eagles, the young talent who anchored the Roosters’ push to the 2023 finals with his elite kicking game found himself without a guaranteed spot in the club’s halves pairing. For months, questions swirled around his future: would he shift to the forward pack, settle for a bench role, or depart the club entirely in search of a starting playmaking position elsewhere?
On Sunday, Savala answered every single one of those questions with authority. Finishing the match with two tries and a rock-solid defensive effort that shut down Knights star Dane Gagai, it was his spontaneous decision to take up first receiver position in the final five minutes of the first half that stole the show. Moving from his starting spot at left centre to drift infield, Savala hesitated behind the ruck before executing two sharp plays that completely bamboozled the Knights’ defensive line, creating what should have been a try for Mark Nawaqanitawase – denied only by a marginal foot-in-touch call.
Roosters head coach Trent Robinson was openly glowing about Savala’s initiative after the full-time siren. “I think that was an outstanding set of play,” Robinson said. “He goes down there, has a look down the short side, he sort of hesitates just behind the ruck … I’m not sure whether [halfback] Sam [Walker] said something or not. And then he plays two really clear plays about getting us into a point and then creating the opportunity on the next one. I love the fact that he had the confidence to do that, and then he also had the style of play to do that as well. I thought he was so good today out there at left centre and doing the role that he’s been asked to do there.”
What makes the play even more remarkable? It was never drawn up in training. Savala explained after the match that the entire sequence was a spontaneous call based on what he saw unfolding on the field. “I saw Sammy take the hit-up there and go, and I just thought it was a good opportunity to get my hands on the ball and create a little bit of space for the boys out wide,” he said. “Honestly, it wasn’t trained all week; it was just off the cuff. I did that role last year, so I thought it would be a good time to use that. Teddy [skipper James Tedesco] and the leadership group give you a lot of confidence. A lot of the young boys get a lot of confidence from doing the reps in the week. They have the belief in all us young boys to do what we do. I’m just doing my job out there, and they believe in me, so I can just do my role and do it well.”
Right now, Savala is filling in at left centre while regular starter Billy Smith recovers from injury, a role he has embraced fully as he bides his time for another opportunity in the halves. For the upcoming Anzac Day blockbuster against St. George Illawarra Dragons, the towering utility is set to retain his spot in the centres, and he says he is fully focused on executing the job the coaching staff has given him.
“I’m just working hard and still working on my skills. I’m still working on my kicking at training and my ball playing, but the majority of the time at training, I’ve been doing the role that I needed to do on the weekend,” Savala explained. “Robbo’s big on mindset and how you prepare for the game. He’s been really clear with us as a group, and I’ve been clear knowing that I’m playing left centre this week. That’s the role that I have to play. Obviously, there’s a half and a five-eighth inside me, but I was playing left centre today and that’s the role I was doing.”
For the rest of the NRL, Savala’s combination of raw talent, adaptive versatility, and willingness to take spontaneous risks on the field makes him a nightmare to prepare for. With the Roosters clicking into form early in the season, their emerging utility’s breakout performance has confirmed they are a force to be reckoned with in 2024.