Tallon Smith
The Hay Magpies have finally welcomed their first new signing for the 2026 season after securing the return of premiership-winning forward Orisi Rokobati from the Darlington Point-Coleambally Roosters.
After the key losses of Ray Thorpe Medallist Ben Arandt and star hooker Will Barnes, who each joined the Toowoomba Brothers over the summer, the Magpies have struggled to attract new signings following the club’s first top grade grand final appearance in 30 years last year.
However, it was a personal connection with new coach Zac O’Neill that helped secure the return of the barnstorming front row forward to Hay as its flagship recruit leading into the new season.
“I’ve known Orisi since he landed here in a truck in the freight centre in town, I had to give him a jumper actually one day when I picked him up,” O’Neill said.
“I just went around and saw him and offered him a contract and he said he’d think about it, and then it went a little bit cold.
“Then I went back and saw him again, had a little bit more in the back pocket for him, and he signed on.
“We got the clearance last week or the week before that Darlington Point let him go so that was good.”
With the Magpies retaining fellow prop Jerry Balenawi in addition to welcoming back Rokobati for the upcoming campaign, the pair are set to form a powerful front row combination just months after facing off against one another in the grand final.
O’Neill said he expects the pair to complement each other’s games, with Rokobati’s experience also adding a lot to the forward pack heading into the new season.
“I know him and Jerry will bring the best out of each other and keep each other honest, fiery and going forward,” he said.
“We’ve seen a little bit of him at training so far, you can’t buy that type of experience.
“I don’t know what he’ll bring [in terms of leadership], being a quieter bloke, but we’ll wait and see what he does on the field and how he handles himself, [I’m] hopeful his football can do the talking.”
In terms of the playing squad, after a few months in the recruitment doldrums, O’Neill said that the announcement of Rokobati’s return has been a major boost to the side’s confidence, whilst also drawing a strong positive response from the community.
“Confidence wise it will give the senior players a little bit in their back pocket, and we’re still aiming for top five,” he said.
“When I told them ‘I think I’ve got him over the line’, a fair few didn’t really believe me, and then once we got him, there were a fair few happy faces around in the playing group and in the town.
“Everyone in the town loves him, you’ve only got to see his Facebook signing thing on the Magpies page, I think there’s about 250 odd likes on there and a fair few comments.”
Though Rokobati is the only confirmed new first grade signing for the club over the off-season, the club may still make a late play with a few more signings.
O’Neill said that the Magpies are hopeful that a few new faces may join the club from overseas before the season kicks off on April 11.
“We’re still negotiating at the moment with a couple of players overseas,” he said.
“We’re getting to the pointy end now, we’re hoping that maybe by round one we might have one or two English players showing up as well, but that’s still going through visas and stuff like that.”
Magpies announce 2026 captain
Meanwhile, in a Battlers and Back Country Bulletin exclusive, the Magpies have also announced their first grade captain for 2026 will be Jock Crighton.
O’Neill said that the choice was relatively easy given the consistency and leadership characteristics demonstrated by Crighton on the field, and believes that even though he would want to lift his game further in the role, it may be impossible to further that effort.
“Young Jock Crighton, he’s an out and out leader, I think anyone would want to go to war with Jocko leading the side mate, he’s an easy pick really to lead the side,” he said.
“I don’t know if Jocko can lift any more than what he gives, he gives 120 percent now, I think it’s more about the boys going with him.
“He’ll lead and they’ll go with him.”
Hay’s first game of the 2026 season is a clash with the TLU Sharks as part of the Group 20 Magic Round at Leeton No.1 Oval on April 11.
