Rooster booster: Teddy hails return of silky Savala

Such is the impact Hugo Savala has made in his debut season that his skipper James Tedesco says he loves the 23-year-old as a player and can't wait to have him back on deck against Manly on Saturday.

Since debuting in Round 2 against the Panthers, Savala has chalked up 14 NRL appearances for the Roosters, but a wrist injury kept him out of the past two matches, both of which resulted in losses.

Separated by just two points on the ladder, the Roosters and Sea Eagles meet in a season-defining clash for the at 4 Pines Park on Saturday and Savala's return can't come soon enough according to his captain.

"Hugo has been unreal for us this year - his kicking game and his control of the team is probably something we've lacked the last couple of weeks," Tedesco said from the Roosters' training camp in Gosford.

"I love Hugo as a player, he loves asking questions and learning and trying to get better in every aspect of his game. He's a great listener.

"Hugo is an NRL halfback so it’s great to have him back."

When it comes to picking the brains of the club's senior players, Savala has benefited from the presence of 2016 premiership winner Chad Townsend, who announced this week that the 2025 season would be his last after 15 years at the top level.

Townsend spent the greater portion of his career at Cronulla where he racked up 146 games across two stints and helped guide the club to its historic 2016 grand final victory over the Storm.

He also had time at the Warriors and Cowboys before arriving at Bondi in 2025 where has he played six games and offered the benefit of his wisdom to the club's young playmakers including Savala and Sandon Smith.

"Chad has been a great mentor for Hugo and all the young halves in passing on his experience," said Tedesco.

"Chad has been unreal for us, we have so many young halves at the club.

"His experiences have definitely helped me as well. He should be very proud, he's had a great career.

"Chad's a great communicator, he could be a coach for sure."

Having made his own debut in 2012, just a year after Townsend, the Roosters' skipper knows his 269 games of experience will be critical to the club's chances of making it to the finals for a ninth consecutive season.

Losses in three of their past four games have left the Roosters in 10th spot and clinging to the finals by a thread with matches against the Sea Eagles, Dolphins, Bulldogs and Storm still to come.

"I have been in this position a fair few times at the club where we have to finish the year strong and win most of our games so nothing different for us really," Tedesco said.

"These young guys probably haven't experienced that too much so these next couple of weeks are really important for us.

"I've been really enjoying leading this young guys. I think at the start of the year no one really gave us much chance or expectation and I enjoyed leading those boys through my actions and communication.

"Now there's pressure on us to win and I need to lead by example and make sure these boys are ready to go week in and week out.

"It’s a long year, it's hard to get up week in and week out and these guys are learning about that.

"I'm just trying to do my bit as a leader and as a player."