Roosters coach Trent Robinson has slammed Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan for his comments about the club’s salary cap while also shooting down speculation that Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii will be released from his current deal.
McLennan pondered whether the Roosters have any salary cap issues in a recent interview where he also said “Joey’s treatment is nothing short of horrible” as rumours swirl that the young star could move to rugby earlier than expected.
Suaalii signed a one-year extension with the Chooks earlier this season but then inked a monster deal to switch codes in 2025 that has coincided with a couple of quiet performances.
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It’s led to reports that the Roosters were looking at releasing Suaalii to free up cap space for the 2024 season, but Robinson knocked that on the head on Thursday morning.
“Those reports haven’t come from inside this club. That’s been speculation outside. It’s not even been a discussion inside this club,” he said.
The veteran coach also took exception to McLennan’s comments about the club’s cap.
“He’s doing that for certain reasons,” he said.
“I can imagine rugby people aren’t excited about the way that’s been handled either.
“There’s usually a bit more class in the discussions and all of that.”
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Robinson didn’t want to give much oxygen to the Suaalii saga that has dragged on for more than a month, but he does understand why there’s so much interest in one of the game’s biggest stars.
“We play a game that is televised and we get to do what we do because people have opinions on it. That scrutiny and that interest is on him, and he has to perform and we have to perform,” he said.
“As far as putting pressure on whether he’ll be here or not, I feel like that’s unfair because that hasn’t come from inside these walls.
“It applies that little bit of a blowtorch to say I need to coach him better and he needs to play a bit better.”
The three-time premiership-winning coach also appears to be on McLennan’s radar, but Robinson says he’s fully focused on the Roosters where he’s contracted until the 2028 season.
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He’s got bigger fish to fry, with the Tricolours searching for answers in attack after a poor showing at Magic Round where they were soundly beaten by the battling Cowboys.
They now face a Panthers side that has beaten them six times in a row, with the Chooks having to also deal with reports assistant coach Jason Ryles is the favourite to take over at the Dragons in 2024 despite having one more year to run on his Roosters contract.
“We’ve chatted about his future, but it’s not something that’s for me to go into,” Robinson said.
“In a way it’s got something to do with us, but it’s got nothing to do with us in another way. I’ve chatted with him privately, but the rest I don’t have any information on.
“I never have (stood in the way of an assistant leaving) so that’s not going to happen now as long as there’s clarity there and we’re doing the best thing for the Roosters.”
