Roosters coach Trent Robinson has taken his pursuit of excellence to the next level by forming a relationship with one of the US’s most revered coaches, basketball legend Steve Kerr.
With the Roosters staring at their most challenging season in a decade after losing a host of star players, Robinson has gone global in his preparation for 2025.
Robinson is doing anything but sitting on his backside waiting to slide down the ladder next year. Instead, he has connected with Kerr, who heads up the Golden State Warriors in the NBA and the US men’s Olympics team.
Not only has Robinson been in discussions with Kerr, but he recently flew to California to spend time with him.
Robinson refused to discuss the influence Kerr is having on his coaching development, or his relationship with him, when approached by this column. So the length of his association with Kerr remains something of a mystery, but the Roosters boss did not deny their link or a recent visit to meet up with him.
For those unfamiliar with Kerr, his achievements are many, including playing for the Chicago Bulls with Michael Jordan, winning five NBA titles as a player and a further four as a coach. Kerr is revered in basketball and admired by coaches throughout the world.
Roosters coach Trent Robinson.Credit: NRL Photos
This column has also learnt in recent days that the Roosters had a secret theme last season that centred on the late, great Kobe Bryant. The Roosters spent time in Los Angeles in the lead-up to their Las Vegas season opener and it is believed by that point they had already decided on Bryant as their theme for the campaign. It was based around his famous “mamba” mentality. Bryant had five pillars to channelling his inner mamba: fearlessness, relentlessness, passion, obsessiveness and resilience. He would preach: “I want you all to be fearless this year. Whenever you step out to compete, have the mindset of being unbeatable.”
The idea certainly resonated with the players and helped take the Roosters all the way to a preliminary final.
Robinson will enter next year with a severely depleted roster, but one that he is happy to work with and develop. He has already made a brave call in moving on Terrell May because the club needs all their players moving in the same direction.
Roosters off the Cheese
The Roosters are prepared to let Brandon Smith leave the club next year before he returns to the field following a knee reconstruction.
It has long been believed Smith would not be required at the end of next year, when his contract ends, but if a club wanted to bring Smith into their system early, the Roosters are happy for that to happen.
Brandon Smith is assisted from the field after suffering season-ending knee injuries.Credit: Getty Images
It has been a tough transition to Sydney for Smith. He arrived from Melbourne with big expectations, and while he has shown glimpses of what he can do, overall it has been a troubled move. Smith’s anterior cruciate ligament injury may not make him an attractive proposition to clubs that would only get half a year of service out of him in 2025, but if someone is keen to sign him, it may be an opportunity to show their faith in the player by taking him on even when injured.
The Roosters have worked hard with Smith off the field and that support will not go away, but the truth is he is not part of their plans for 2026, so they would be happy to move him on early.
Smith has plenty of good football head of him, and if his focus is just on the game, he will be a good pick-up for a club. On his day, he is a tremendous threat with the ball.
McLennan eyes five new NRL targets for rugby
Former Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan says the code needs to ramp up its pursuit of rugby league stars with the British and Irish Lions tour and World Cup fast approaching, and has provided his top five targets.
McLennan has been heavily criticised since the signing of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, but following his outstanding debut against England last weekend, and the enormous publicity Suaalii has generated for rugby, he appears to have made a good-value purchase for the code.
“Joseph showed everyone what he can do on a limited preparation, so imagine how good he is going to be by the time the British and Irish Lions tour is happening [in 2025]?” McLennan said. “I was just really happy for Joseph and his family because he’s been through a lot publicly and he’s been criticised heavily, when in reality, he’s just living his dream and setting up a future for himself and his family.
“The way he has been treated by some at RA and those pushing false stories that the playing group will turn on him because of his salary … it’s just agenda-driven rubbish and he electrified the Wallabies after coming stone-cold last in the Rugby Championship just two months ago.
“He’s now probably worth $3 million a year to rugby, and to be perfectly honest, rugby now needs to go after some other superstar players, headed by Nathan Cleary. I know if the right people got in front of Cleary, a very good deal could be put to him and he must be running out of things to do in rugby league. He has proven he is the top of the heap over a number of years and rugby in a couple of years time could be the once-in-a-lifetime challenge he needs. He would be the perfect No.10.”
Suaalii’s schoolboy rugby teammate Will Penisini heads up the remainder of McLennan’s top five targets.
“If you ask Joseph about Will, he will tell you he’s got everything needed to be a quality star in rugby,” McLennan said.
“RA really should’ve signed Angus Crichton last year, but they dropped the ball on that one, and we could’ve got him at far less than the new contract he has signed at the Roosters. As everyone can see, the guy is just a beast. He would have an immediate impact in rugby considering his strong history in the game. He’s definitely worth revisiting.
“I also spoke with the father of Payne Haas at one point to get him across to rugby and with his size in athleticism he would be a natural. Unfortunately, there was little enthusiasm within rugby. That shows how short-sighted they are. And in terms of pure lightning speed, it’s impossible to go past ‘The Hammer’ [Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow]. He would get people streaming through the gates to watch him.”
Loyalty to Mam could cost Broncos Hunt
The Broncos are rolling out the red carpet to impress Ben Hunt this weekend, but their ability to offer a suitable salary may be more of a problem for the star-studded club.
They have shown no desire to sack Ezra Mam, even though he is facing a considerable time out of the game after being charged with drug driving during the week.
The Dragons have released Ben Hunt from the final year of his contract.Credit: Getty
After we revealed last week the Roosters were emerging as a real option for Hunt, the club stopped denying its interest. The Roosters told me last week they weren’t genuinely interested in Hunt. However, sources with knowledge of the situation say Trent Robinson has met with Hunt and each party came away impressed with the other. Robinson can see merit in signing Hunt as he looks for experience and cover for injured stars Sam Walker and Brandon Smith.
Dragons spin doctors have been doing their best to tarnish Hunt’s reputation and paint him as self-centred. The narrative that he spent more time with his family than his team during his stint with the Red V is an unusual one if you are trying to damage a person’s character. Most clubs would welcome a family man who would try his backside off at training and on the field.
The Dragons also made him captain, and while Hunt may not be a natural leader, he showed how to do things through his work ethic and effort on and off the field.
Pappy days for Dogs?
The Bulldogs would have been the best home for Terrell May, but the club has informed his agent they won’t be making a play for him. Instead, they have been putting the finishing touches on a two-year extension for one of the best buys of 2024, Bronson Xerri.
The chat around Ryan Papenhuyzen has gone quiet and it appears it is now a race in two between the Storm and Bulldogs when his deal with Melbourne expires at the end of next season. The easy and safe option for Papenhuyzen is to stay put – even on a short-term deal. The issue for Melbourne since signing Stefano Utoikamanu is their inability to pay Papenhuyzen what he is on now.
Oh brother
Rising star Latu Fainu is one of five players who received a breach notice from Wests Tigers for his fitness not being up to scratch when he returned for pre-season training. He was poor in a time trial and will need to explain himself.
Latu Fainu celebrates a try against Manly.Credit: Getty Images
The problem for the Tigers is twofold with Fainu. First, he has been getting mixed messages, with some at the club telling him not to worry about it. Secondly, the Fainu brothers – Latu and Samuela signed long-term deals with the Tigers in 2023, joining Sione, who had signed the year before – are significant figures in the joint venture’s plans to turn the club around. And if you upset one you risk having an issue with all three of them. The Tigers are only focused on standards, however.
Silent treatment
Laurie Daley went the entire week on his breakfast radio program without discussing our revelations that he is eligible to coach the Blues – as long as he gives up his gig spruiking odds for the TAB on Fox Sports.
The fact he didn’t mention it at all shows his level of seriousness about a return as NSW coach.
Matt King’s name continues to get mentioned, and there’s another contender, too. Blues management have been made aware of Paul McGregor’s interest in the position vacated by Michael Maguire. McGregor is an Origin great, has years of NRL coaching experience and was in Brad Fittler’s team.
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