‘Quality player’: Roosters not ruling out move for Cobbo

2 weeks ago 7

Sydney Roosters manager Trent Robinson is looking to replenish his squad arsenic the nine prepares to suffer a fig of players astatine the extremity of the year, including Joey Manu, Joseph Suaalii and Luke Keary.

Robinson said the nine were funny successful uncovering an experienced playmaker to regenerate their outgoing five-eighth portion they continued to make the semipermanent halves pairing of Sam Walker and Sandon Smith, and would besides see looking astatine different high-quality players that travel connected the market, including Origin prima Selwyn Cobbo.

Robinson said the Roosters hadn’t yet spoken astir going aft Cobbo, but would person to see it fixed what a endowment helium is proving to be.

“Yeah, evidently [look astatine Cobbo], you cognize the prime that helium is, arsenic soon arsenic helium came connected to the country you could spot what a prime subordinate helium was and volition be,” Robinson said.

“That hasn’t travel up successful treatment ... that’s not connected the radar astatine the moment, but [we’re] ever looking astatine the high-quality players. I cognize his quality to play a fewer antithetic positions is key, but we’re besides connected a way determination with immoderate of our young centres.”

Keary announcing his status this week has fast-tracked the Roosters’ progression program of moving 21-year-old Smith into the halves alongside Walker, but Robinson said the nine would see signing an experienced playmaker successful the interim.

Selwyn Cobbo is 1 of the hottest talents connected the marketplace for adjacent season.

“That would beryllium perfect [an experienced half] if the subordinate is right. If it’s not, past we’re not going to enactment idiosyncratic successful beforehand of Sandon that’s not of precocious quality,” helium said.

“If we deliberation idiosyncratic is truly experienced and tin bash that [it would beryllium worthy looking at] ... but we are successful May, and for adjacent twelvemonth astir of the clip they’re each signed. So, that’s hard there, but we besides truly judge successful Sandon. If we person to spell young and make them done adjacent year, past we will.”

Robinson ruled retired South Sydney halfback Lachlan Ilias arsenic an option, aft the 23-year-old was fixed support to talk to rival clubs pursuing the Rabbitohs’ impending signing of St Helens halfback Lewis Dodd.

“[Ilias is a] truly bully player, but akin presumption [also young] to those 2 [Smith and Walker] arsenic well, and truthful that doesn’t truly enactment up arsenic overmuch adjacent though helium is an NRL player,” Robinson said.

The nine volition besides suffer seasoned prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves astatine the extremity of the year, portion the aboriginal of Daniel Tupou and Angus Crichton is inactive uncertain.

A fig of different players volition besides beryllium capable to negociate with rival clubs travel November 1, with James Tedesco, Brandon Smith – who took up his subordinate enactment to enactment astatine the nine adjacent twelvemonth – and Sam Walker signed with the Tricolours until 2025.

Robinson said the nine planned to support Walker long-term.

“There’s a situation to support bully players, I deliberation that’s ever the case, but I deliberation Sam’s been rather open, we’ve been rather open,” Robinson said.

“We’ve been connected a way determination for 4 years with Sam, we’ve been precise wide astir him being our semipermanent fractional and processing into that. That program hasn’t changed for us, and arsenic acold arsenic I cognize it hasn’t changed for Sam.”

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