Currently coached by Trent Robinson and captained by James Tedesco, the Roosters play home games at the Sydney Football Stadium.

The team's Leagues Club is based in Bondi Junction and its home ground, administration and training facilities are located at nearby Moore Park.

Unofficially nicknamed the "Tricolours" due to the red, white and blue playing strip,[5] Eastern Suburbs won its first match, defeating Newtown 32–16 at Wentworth Oval on 20 April 1908.

[3] In 1913 it became the first club to win three consecutive premierships;[2][6][7] the line-ups during this period included the likes of Dally Messenger, Harry "Jersey" Flegg and Sandy Pearce, all regarded as all-time rugby league greats.

[10] In 1935, the team lost just one game,[11] and recorded the highest winning margin in their history, an 87–7 (equivalent to 106–8 using the modern scoring system) victory over Canterbury.

[12] In 1936, Eastern Suburbs became one of five teams in premiership history to remain undefeated for an entire season,[13] a feat they repeated the following year.

[5] Eastern Suburbs were soundly defeated 31–6 in the grand final that year, by the famous record-beating St George outfit.

[19] The club underwent a renaissance in 1967 after appointing Jack Gibson as coach (1967–68), and introducing a new emblem on the playing jerseys, the rooster.

[24] With line-ups including Mark Harris, Elwyn Walters, John Brass, Bill Mullins, Russell Fairfax, Johnny Mayes, John Peard, Ron Coote, Ian Schubert and captain Arthur Beetson,[2][25] the Centenary of Rugby League panel considered the Roosters of 1974 and 1975 to be among the greatest club teams of all time.

[6][27] The club came close to reaching the premiership in 1987 under coach and favourite son Arthur Beetson, being defeated by eventual premiers Manly in a "bruising" major semi-final, 10–6.

[28] As the Super League war built up in the mid-1990s, the Roosters recruited high-profile coach Phil Gould and star five-eighth Brad Fittler, both from the Penrith Panthers.

A year after finishing last, under the coaching of Brian Smith they reached the 2010 NRL Grand Final where the St. George Illawarra Dragons defeated them 32–8.

Other high-profile players including Nate Myles, Mark Riddell, Jason Ryles, Kane Linnett, and Phil Graham all left the club at season's end.

The 2013 season saw new staff, a new coach, Trent Robinson, and several new players, including big signings Michael Jennings, James Maloney, Luke O'Donnell and Sonny Bill Williams, arrive at the club.

Sydney's opponents in the Preliminary Final were North Queensland who had finished in 8th position on the table and produced upset victories over Cronulla and Parramatta.

They managed to keep Souths tryless, and the crowd was the largest ever recorded in a sporting match at the Sydney Football Stadium with 44,380 people in attendance.

The Roosters were forced to blood nine debutants, including the likes of Sam Walker, Ben Marschke, Egan Butcher and Fletcher Baker and call upon players from the club's feeder side the North Sydney Bears.

The tri-colours then went on to win their remaining five matches of the season against also-rans Manly, the Dolphins, Parramatta, Wests Tigers and lastly arch-rivals South Sydney to finish 7th on the table.

The match wasn't without controversy due to Melbourne scoring a try in the first half which came directly after Harry Grant had knocked the ball on from a cross-field kick, which was not called by referee Ashley Klein.

This is the only noted time in the club's history where the traditional deep blue, red and white combination was absent from the jersey.

Minor: Penrith Panthers, Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, Brisbane Broncos, Parramatta Eels, Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.

[65] In 1987, games were moved away to the Newtown Jets' home ground, Henson Park, temporarily to await the completion of the Sydney Football Stadium.

The team capitalised on this move, and under coach Arthur Beetson finished second in the regular season, and narrowly missed playing in the grand final.

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves holds the record for the most first grade games (307),[109] having surpassed Mitchell Aubusson's tally of 306 matches in round 19 of the 2024 season.

[112] Dave Brown's tally of 45 points (five tries and 15 goals) in a single match against Canterbury in 1935 remains a competition record after more than seven decades.

Rod O'Loan scored seven tries in a single match against Sydney University in 1935,[5] and Dave Brown's 38 tries in 15 games in the same year remains a competition record.

[114] The club's record attendance for a regular season game at its home ground—the Sydney Football Stadium—stands at 40,864, achieved in a match on ANZAC Day against the St George Illawarra Dragons in 2017.

[66] The club's record attendance for a regular season game at the SCG stands at 50,130 on 4 May 1974 against the Manly Sea Eagles[66] The 2000 grand final between the Sydney Roosters and the Brisbane Broncos attracted 94,277 spectators to the Olympic Stadium.

The team was selected by Ray Chesterton, Ian Heads, David Middleton and Alan Clarkson and was unveiled at the centenary season launch at the Michael Algeri Pavilion on 10 March 2007.

In June 2018, the club used up the maximum of fifteen marquee signings ahead of the inaugural season which subsequently commenced in September.