EXCLUSIVE | Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson on signing Mark Nawaqanitawase & Chad Townsend!

Roosters pregnant with a fourth title right O'Brien let's do this let's catch up with this here come the roosters the red white and blers they're charging up the ladder and I've said this Brian I've said this to you at nauseum in private they are the premier for 2024 I hope so our man who's on the line 300 games he's been at the helm for the mighty roosters and not only that Brian three premierships pregnant with a fourth there's one coming and I think James sedesco is going to win the CLI if you want a bit of further information and I'm pleased to say Trent Robinson's on the line good day Robo Jo Fletch how are you hello Trent put a lot of pressure on you hasn't but you know how you know how close this man is to blocking my number I I've promised him at least three times an hour I will retire from the free advice after a few beverages I'm doing dry July Robo so you're safe for at least July but my apologies on here anyway how are you I'm good I'm good that's a uh that's a great intro Joel he's pregnant with a four oh that I've never heard that one before hey Robo the signing of Chad towns in was that something that um has just come across your desk the last month or so or Chad Townsend signing was it sort of planned no it was uh probably about two two weeks ago two three weeks ago um uh Chad uh sort of expressed interest about coming back to Sydney uh wanted to play again um and obviously uh we're pretty keen on um obviously Sammy and and bringing sand and Smith through um and Chad uh felt like uh yeah he wanted to sort of join us and could really support them and then also uh um yeah if needed be in that position to uh to play uh as well so uh I thought it was really good squad management from us to go and you know push the young guys through but also have a Premiership winner behind them do you think um Robo sand and Smith Sandon Smith as the six? by next year kick kickoff would be your number six y yeah that's the plan okay yeah we went uh we had really good conversations with Chad um just about um sandon being our number six really believe in him you know he's played enough first grade now but I like the way he plays six he's got a good combination with um with Samy um but yeah that's also and we've got a good group of young halves coming through you know we've got about six young halves ready ready to go lined up and and to really progress um but they're all at the moment 21 or under they're between 18 and 21 so uh you know we know that you you need some experience there in the halves at different times and I thought I mean Chad's perfect for that Robert going through your season the reason one of the reasons I'm very bullish about it there's a lot of motivation you got the Ki swans song Jared uh potentially you've got Tesco who's been left out never probably played better football he's flying at the moment um and then you've got well look at your draw and what you've done so far and every single game every even the losses every single game you've been in the fight pretty much to the 80-minute mark I'd love for you to share with their listeners if you were telling them the story of The Roosters 2024 to this point starts in Vegas how would you sum it up because it just seems to be plotting just where you Confidence in the side so far needed how would you sum it up uh I'd say uh where the best team I've had in four years I think that's uh I think we' got a better game model than we've had in the last four years I think feel like we've improved that um on both sides of the ball our defens is improving I think Justin H Brook's added a lot uh in the attack as well um and then we've had those close losses so to all the teams I think we've been uh one try or less um in the in the losses um so we have been right in it to the end but uh yeah we need to we need to nail some big scalps um towards the end and get um and get make those close losses into into some wins um going into the semis so um feel really confident about where we're at but there's a couple of things I really want to do in the next eight weeks to to be ready for the back end of the year Robo um you've had some players who in form Angus kryon flying Connor Watson changes this season Terrell may just going from strength to strength but I want to chat to you about Connor Watson obviously last year he had that injury with his KN the batella um it snapped didn't it Bella tend you had B SN did has he done anything different in the offseason um as he have you playing have you had a chat to him about the way he plays because he's just sort of his game has transformed I feel yeah this is an interesting one fit so he I mean he came through theun here played in the lower grades um and the way he plays he's such a busy player right he's constantly playing he's got an intensity about him um but when you're a young guy that can often mean you play a little bit too quick as well you know um and so I feel like uh he jumped around from playing 5'8 uh fullback different positions he went away I think we found out that he was his best position is 13 and he can play nine six center but what happens is the maturity of him he's still quick you know he's still got that intensity about him and he sees stuff but he's more calm in himself he's more mature as a guy um he's really confident as a as a man and I feel like the balance of the intensity of his play and the calmness of him off the field makes him at an ideal ideal age to obviously play for us but also play origin how how old is he how old is Conor Connor would be 27 28 okay yeah I tell you what Brian and it's one of my favorite quotes in life sometimes the best gifts come badly one well it applies to you could almost say three people right so the Resurgence of three players in particular in your squad which is it's not always about results on the board but what you've done with to get somebody like Michael Jennings back playing first grade Brandon Smith which was quite public around his situation you got firing again but the biggest story is Angus kryon and very public battles that that he shared with everyone last year you must be very proud of what you've done with with those types of players Rober yeah it's a it's a funny thing like you got to people go through Angus Crichton different things in life and they have to get played out in public cuz um yeah that's we're in entertainment and people want to know what they're doing on the field but it's also off the field so some of those things um get bought to light when you'd rather keep them private but um it can also be uh the ultimate um role model for people as well um and I feel like that's what Angus has done through last year and now I feel like he's the best back rower in Michael Jennings the comp you know what he's what he's doing there um uh has been really good um you know the Michael Jennings bit that was um I think you know he he coped a lot of criticism um and the club CED a lot of criticism um but we've made him um you know better partner and father again you know I think I think that's that's what we've done and um and then also Brandon that that played out publicly but how do you say we care about you but we're also going to discipline you at the same time Brandon Smith and everyone's going to know about it but we think this will help you um play better and also be better off the field and and um and and he's been yeah he's been really good for it he took it really well but then also applied himself and um yeah it's it's funny how it you have to play out public publicly because that's what the interest is but um if if you stay pure on what you want to do for that player um then eventually it'll come out in the right situation well Robos basically confirmed what we thought Brian so the roosters and this is what the best clubs do the roosters the Panthers the Melbourne storm they're buttoned up right they are Vault like where the trust is in the building and it's so important you know Rico's on the board so that's that's a fallacy but but the point of it is what we said at the time was no leaks there is no leaks so if it if it if it hit the Press which it did then maybe there was a a reason as to why that happened bro yeah no um can I ask you about satii Rober I he had he had a Stormer last week and playing in sort of an unusual position the center for him cuz he's a background was that a hard decision to let him go cuz he was under contract my understanding was y was that was it a salary cap thing or was it more an opportunity for him uh purely it was purely cap because Sitili Tupouniua it's he's been with us again since he was 15 I think um and then and when it comes to the salary cap you got to make a decision between um basically Angus and satilly when it comes to that you know both on um starting money and you both you want to keep them both but um you know Angus has really owned that position and owned it really well and and so that was uh the choice got made by Angus and that was amazing for him and the form but it meant that there wasn't a starting spot for satii um but they're obviously is in the NRL and yeah um and you want the best for him but that we're still playing him each week CU we believe in him as well um and so yeah they're hard when they've been here for a long time I think it's been nine years he's been at the club yeah know I I love watching him play so Robo if the David fidas Saga I mean he's a terrific player obviously if he came was it either him or Angus was that was that was going to David Fifita or Angus Circhton? happen uh no it wasn't completely cuz there was other things that once that didn't happen we moved on to uh ones like um Chad were in the Middle with Daniel tupo at the moment it just um it just moved a bit there was still an opportunity for Angus there um but yeah that was uh that all went smoothly didn't it yeah what happened there Rob was it his was it was it his Camp he just all of a sudden just said no I'm just having I'm getting cold feet What happened with the David Fifita back flip? kept the receipt returned to Sender yeah it was pretty simple like it was agreed to terms and then um it was probably about three or four days later it was just he was pretty quiet wasn't really you know usually there's a bit of things to do after you agree Y and it was a bit quiet and then um yeah I think three or four days later his manager sort of rang and said look I don't know if he's uh you know what's going on here but you know I I think he's having second thoughts and then he had a meeting with go coast and then uh his managers let let us know that that was it um and so yeah it was just in the end like it's it's not but it was quite funny the whole situation I've never had come across that before but it was um yeah not as we wanted at that time it would have been great having at the roosters but are you sort of thinking yourself it's actually it would have been good to have him but I'm happy for him to stay there at at the Titans is that your sort of take on it well as soon as he as like you want people that really want to be here and then as soon as that happened it was like well you know it was probably would have rathered it a week earlier but that's that's great like it's good Dave gets to stay close to his family um he gets to stay at the club he he's he's progressed through with um and you know I'm you know I couldn't be happier that we've ended up with um you know Angus and RADS you know in that starting back row with with Connor lock and then young guys pushing him Robert are you filing are you filing something or eating a packet of burger Rings what's that sound that's a uh that's a phone call coming in from the boss uh oh we wrap it up uh oh Bri but we need a comment we need a comment I want to know the fans want to know and there's plenty of texts Mark noonga Nasi yes is he a will War brick is he what what can we expect for him as far as a a player he may play like who's currently the national rug League Mark Nawaqanitawase coming after the Olympics Robo uh yeah M Mark he has the ability to play all five of the positions in the backline so um you know he he's played Wing he's played fullback he can play center um and so he's played all those positions so uh he's got he's he's a big boy right so like will you know he's 6'4 about4 kilos 105 and and it's got really good footwork and vision um and so one thing with our players is their their ability to play they usually are they left side or right side whereas he can play both sides of the ball he's used to playing that within the one game um and so the big thing for me is I know attacking wise there's going to be a lot of skill and Agility there um and it's the the biggest thing for me was getting him across early to get some defensive work into him um and so uh that's the big change obviously the retreat to 10 meters the the the consistent contact that we have in the tackle they're the they're the big things that I want to get him done that I want to get him doing uh in August September October Robo your boss is calling our boss which is the ads is calling as well um just poping your diary 1st of October 10 5 that'll be teamless Tuesday Grand Final week we look forward to chat to you then and well done on the Milestone Robo pregnant with your fourth go well young fell all right thanks boys block my number see you Robo there he is he's saying to me he's saying T leave me alone uh there you go uh what a Blake 13001 1170 plenty more still to come he me m didn't he yeah