The Roosters invited us into their inner sanctum

[QWERTY]

An interesting, and in my option, great read

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/the...01-p5f8zh.html

If you cannot access copy the above link into this one: https://12ft.io

[RoosterBooster]

Thanks for sharing , great read

[sparrow]

What a fantastic article!
Thanks for that

[Waylander]

Excellent read. Gotta love Nick & Robbo. May they live forever.

[Jacks Fur Coat]

I can't access either link

[Batemans Bay Rooster]

Chammas is no Andrew Webster, but a nice piece nonetheless esp re Robbo. Have enjoyed watching Robbo in the videos they've posted thus far too and how he speaks to the group. His contribution and the standards he's set will pay dividends long after he's gone. Those that bag him have no idea.

[RoosterFanNZ]

what a great article - I like the trust being placed in sammy

[QWERTY]

I can't access either link

Inside the team room at the exclusive Kimpton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson summons one of the team’s young guns, Ethan King, to the front.

Robinson probes and prods with the intent of unlocking – and unveiling to his team – the person behind the player.

As King begins to open up on his journey from a student at Ipswich Grammar School – the alma mater of Roosters chairman Nick Politis – to the cusp of the NRL, Politis, sitting in the room like a member of the team, interjects.

“Did you see my name on the honour board?” Politis asks the softly spoken 21-year-old who is taken aback by the ‘Godfather’s’ presence.

“Ummm, I didn’t, no,” he responds, unintentionally sending the room into raptures.

“You’re gone. Finished. Bye bye.” The players begin to chant as they light-heartedly acknowledge the power the chairman wields at the club.

Welcome to the inner sanctum of the Sydney Roosters.

---

The phone call came about 10.30am last Saturday while, just a few metres away, Broncos stars Reece Walsh and Kotoni Staggs were doing their best Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce impersonations at the somewhat underwhelming training facility of the LA Rams.

It was Politis. “Yeah, mate, we’ve got a team dinner tonight and we want you to come,” he said in a manner that suggested that it was more a demand than an invitation.
James Tedesco with Nick Politis.CREDIT: GETTY

“And tomorrow you can go with the boys to watch the Clippers, too.”

The Roosters are notorious for putting up walls to protect their players from the outside world.

So when a call like that comes in, the fact you were meant to be watching LeBron James’ son Bronny at a must-see college basketball game at UCLA later that night becomes irrelevant.

So too, the tickets you had to watch Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami take on LA Galaxy in the opening game of the Major League Soccer season.

Politis’ invitation was an extension of coach Trent Robinson’s proposal he put forward to the Herald a couple of weeks before they departed for the United States: fly-on-the-wall access to his team’s preparations for a game of football.

Team meetings. Team lunches. Travelling on the team bus. Video sessions. A Roosters polo would have completed the indoctrination into the Tricolours family.

Politis’ presence in the team room on the day King addressed the group speaks volumes for the adoration Robinson shares towards his boss.
Trent Robinson and Politis share a moment after the 2019 grand final.CREDIT: NRL PHOTOS

While most NRL coaches are creating barriers to keep administration and football separate, the Roosters coach thrives off the family environment Politis has created at the club.

“It’s hard to explain how unique he is to people,” Robinson said of Politis.

“People see a billionaire Greek man who has significant influence over the Roosters and the game and form their own opinions, but he’s been an incredible support for me in what we’re trying to do. To be honest, I have loved working for him. He drives me, he supports me and I actually feel like a team.

“Our relationship is really clean. There’s a real love and respect there. It’s a gift to work for. To have someone with so much foresight and drive … It’s changed the way I look at a working environment and how to get the best out of myself and the people around you. It’s been an honour to work with him for so long.”

---

Sitting in front of Politis at the popular Avra Greek restaurant in Beverly Hills later that night, it quickly became apparent the admiration of the 82-year-old extends beyond the coach.

One by one, as the players finished their meals, they made their way over to him to thank him for a night that we can only assume would have set him back about $US20,000 ($30,000).
The players walking through Venice Beach.CREDIT: ROOSTERS DIGITAL

Despite his wealth, Politis isn’t ostentatious. He spends from the heart and invests both financially and emotionally in what he loves.

“What I have learned from Nick is that you have to be pure to your purpose in life,” Robinson said.

“If you understand your purpose, then you will put your energy in the right place and you will drive towards those goals. Cars and bricks are his business and he stays pure to that. He doesn’t get caught up in the boats or the planes. He doesn’t need to flash.

“He knows what works from a business point of view and is intuitive and instinctive in how he goes about that. Then, he just loves the Roosters. He loves those colours and that emblem. Family, business and the Roosters are his purpose and he’s pure to it every single minute of the day.”
Politis celebrates the 2019 grand final win.CREDIT: GETTY

“I think I asked him once if he was going to retire and he said, ‘What’s retirement, what am I going to do with that’? Those people don’t retire. Most people go through life looking forward to retiring and they lose their purpose pretty early on. He’s reframed the way I look at life and work because his purpose doesn’t have a use-by date.”

---

The next morning Politis invites the Herald for an interview that turns into a two-and-a-half hour breakfast at the Beverly Wilshire, the hotel from the iconic 1990 film Pretty Woman, where he is staying.

No subject is off the table. He talks in detail, constantly fluctuating between on the record and off the record, about all things rugby league and the Roosters.

Like why Joey Manu’s pledge to never play for another NRL club speaks to a culture of breeding “Roosters for life”. His disappointment about how Joseph Suaalii’s agent treated the club during the contract negotiations that led to his signing with Rugby Australia.

Even his desire for the Roosters to come back and play in Las Vegas next year, despite the NRL saying it will rotate through all the clubs.

“That will piss ’em off,” he says about rival clubs while laughing.
Roosters skipper James Tedesco poses for photos outside Resorts World in Las Vegas on Wednesday evening.CREDIT: GRANT TROUVILLE/NRL PHOTOS

Politis’ passion is undeniable. His love for the club is so intense that you can’t help but question why someone of his age, with his wealth and list of accomplishments, would still be spending so much energy and time on something he has done for almost as long as the person sitting across from him has been alive.

“I don’t think I’m wasting my time,” he fires back. “It’s an important part of my life. I’m not into horses or racing cars. To me, this is my life. It’s become part of my life. I love the club. I get attached to a lot of players. And mate, when you hang out with a lot of young people, it keeps me young, too.”
Politis celebrates the Roosters’ 2018 grand final win with Cooper Cronk.CREDIT: NRL PHOTOS

The conversation only ends when Politis spots Connor Watson walking down Wilshire Boulevard and asks him and his family to join him at the table.

“Before I let you go, can I ask you if Trent Robinson is under pressure this year?” the Herald sneaks in before making our way past the stretch of Ferraris and Limousines parked outside the hotel to the other side of town.

“No, mate,” he replies, almost puzzled by the line of questioning.

“‘Robbo’ will be there long after I’m gone. Long after I’m dead. He will still be there. When I first signed him he said to me that he will turn this club into the Manchester United of the NRL.

“Well, [Sir Alex] Ferguson was there for 24 years and I reminded him of that the other day. I told him ‘we’re only half way there now’. I’m telling you he’ll be remembered as one of the great Roosters of all time.”

---

UB40’s Red, Red Wine is playing over the team’s speaker down the back of the bus.

“Jared Waerea-Hargreaves must be on the music,” assistant coach Justin Holbrook leans over and says as the team heads to UCLA for their first proper training session on the half-marked field in the middle of the athletics track.

“I like it when Jared’s on the music.”

Robinson has fostered an environment that encourages players to be themselves. It’s a team with contrasting personalities. Sam Walker strolls around the team room with stickers in the palm of his hand taking great pleasure in discreetly attaching them to his teammates without their knowledge. Others keep to themselves.
Sam Walker with his Sydney Roosters teammates at Venice Beach during the week.CREDIT: ROOSTERS DIGITAL

What becomes apparent, though, is the immediate shift in mentality when play time becomes work time.

“Dial in,” Robinson yells out as his teammakes their way into the impressive amphitheatre at UCLA’s College Football headquarters.

Robinson is a coach renowned for his relationship with his players. But some coaches often blur the line between trying to be their friend, and enforcing the discipline and standards required to perform at an elite level.

“Time to dial in now. Let’s go,” he reiterates as they take their seats. “Phones on aeroplane mode.”

When the players hear ‘dial in’, it triggers an instant mood change.

“There are two things with that; there’s the environment that you create and then there’s the performance culture that you have,” Robinson said.
A focused Trent Robinson gets ready to put his team through their paces at UCLA earlier this week.CREDIT: ROOSTERS DIGITAL

“They are two different things. In the environment, everyone’s equal. I say ‘you be who you want to be’. But when it comes to performance culture, there are standards and principles that you need to apply and abide by, and we’re going to drive you on those.

“It doesn’t matter who you are. You’re driven by those standards. I think people blur the lines between the two. You’ve got to be really clear between the two.”

With the access comes its limitations. An understanding that the intricate details of the game plan must remain a tightly guarded secret (Sorry, Kevvie).

Not that you could decipher a lot of what was going on, apart from a lot of their calls, such as “Coote”, were named after players from the club’s storied 1974 and 1975 premiership-winning teams.

It was in sync with the message Robinson was delivering all week, reminding the players of who and what they were representing every time they put on a Roosters jersey.

In the forwards meeting, it’s lock Victor Radley who is the authoritative voice in the room. Robinson places a lot of trust in him to be the eyes of the pack. His football IQ is impressive, providing a different perspective into the player largely perceived as a hot-headed larrikin.
The Sydney Roosters go for a stroll through Los Angeles.CREDIT: ROOSTERS DIGITAL

Waerea-Hargreaves doesn’t say too much. His involvement is limited as he sits this one out on the sideline due to suspension.

Boom rookie Siua Wong soaks it all in. Jotting down notes as Holbrook and fellow assistant Matt King run through how they want to play against the Broncos.

Then the middle forwards leave the room and the backs come in. Skipper James Tedesco and veteran playmaker Luke Keary have a lot to say, given their status and experience in the game.

What does come as somewhat of a surprise is the level of involvement from Billy Smith and Walker.

Given the noise around Walker last year, and the suggestions the Roosters’ structured game plan didn’t suit his off-the-cuff nature, it was fascinating to see how the dynamic played out behind closed doors.
Sam Walker and Robinson in discussion at training.CREDIT: GETTY

Robinson, pacing around the room, regularly talked about points of the field he wanted his team to get to. But then would follow it up with “then it’s on you, play what you see. I trust you to make the call”.

After the session Robinson said: “That’s how I’ve always believed in playing footy. I back their vision to play. They’re the decision makers on a field. When I dropped Sammy, I knew there would be a lot of noise around it but it’s not about the short term. If you make decisions based on the external noise, you’re going to be in some trouble.

“If I’m coaching in France in front of 500 people or coaching in Sydney, where millions of people listen to it and watch it – if you lose sight of that and start to change your opinions based on ‘I wonder what the reaction is going to be’, then you will be a short-term coach.”
Sam Walker at training during the week.CREDIT: ROOSTERS DIGITAL

“When it all happened Sammy came over to my place. We watched lots of old games, pulled out the video and watched us play in the last couple of years. We watched [former Roosters playmakers Mitchell] Pearce and Todd Carney play and we watched some of the older footy as well. And we started to work towards what his footy is going to look like at the Roosters, not anybody else. You’ll see that this year.”

---

Robinson took last year’s criticism of Tedesco personally.

The manner in which Tedesco holds himself in team meetings, constantly driving standards and expecting excellence from his peers, shows why Robinson never wavered in his support for the embattled fullback when those who were once singing his praises turned on him last year.

“People forget really quickly,” Robinson said. “They were saying ‘he’s done’. He wasn’t done. He was out of form like I was for a period of time there. They couldn’t separate form from ability.

“I believe in ‘Teddy’, I brought him across here, developed him from that talent into a leader of our club, state and country, and there’s a loyalty to that.”

That loyalty has probably cost the club the signature of Manu, who wants to test himself in rugby union next year.

The Roosters can’t offer him the money he deserves or could attract at a rival NRL club, nor will they promise him a jersey they believe Tedesco should wear.
James Tedesco and Joey Manu have enjoyed plenty of good times together at the club.CREDIT: GETTY

“He’s an incredibly loyal man, Joey,” Robinson said.

“He’s been here since he was a kid and he feels that loyalty. But he’s given up money to stay here. He’s also given up a position to stay here at different times. But he has a desire to go and experience something new. And then my desire is that he comes back and finishes his career here.”

During the past four years the Roosters have progressively gone backwards. They’ve finished fourth, fifth, sixth and then seventh in those respective seasons.

Robinson is candid in his response to his team underperforming in 2023, taking responsibility for an inability to adjust to issues both on and off the field.

The club had to deal with Suaalii’s forthcoming defection, criticism of Tedesco’s form, the deterioration of Angus Crichton’s mental health, the hasty departure of assistant coach Jason Ryles, question marks over Brandon Smith’s impact on the club and the saga that surrounded Walker which also dragged club legend Cooper Cronk into the conversation.

“I’ve openly said I wasn’t at my best last year. I was out of form,” Robinson said.
Trent Robinson celebrates the 2018 title with his Sydney Roosters fans.CREDIT: GETTY

“That would have been better to keep to myself but I want to be my best. There’s no more external pressure than there is internal. Pressure is a gift. People see pressure as a bad word, but it’s the complete opposite. I’m not searching for safety. If I want safety I didn’t go into the right profession for that.

“Nick doesn’t say ‘he’ll be here after I’m gone’ because he likes me. He’s saying that because he believes I’m going to get the performance out of the team. Last year I wasn’t happy with how I did that. There was a lot going on at the start of the year that we didn’t handle well enough.”

“I felt like I could have turned the team around a bit quicker at the start of the year and I wasn’t quick enough to get to some individuals or change some game style to do that. So we needed to overhaul some things this year. I didn’t achieve what I wanted to achieve last year. So I’m really hungry this year.”

[Jacks Fur Coat]

Too good Qwerty...thanks mate!

[QWERTY]

Too good Qwerty...thanks mate!

No problem, happy to help

[Jacks Fur Coat]

Yes a great story to read. Gives much cause for optimism going in to this season. Shows Robbos quality to admit his own shortcomings for last year, and acknowledging our game hasn't evolved as it could have in our post premiership years. It's what some of us have been saying, our style of footy wasn't up to the standards we were capable of producing. Some people on here get chippy too readily whenever a doubt is cast towards Robbo. He's big enough and ugly to cop it and is likely his own harshest critic. It's a measure of the quality of the man. We are blessed that his path crossed ours, and his legacy is still being written.

[Lydon]

Yes a great story to read. Gives much cause for optimism going in to this season. Shows Robbos quality to admit his own shortcomings for last year, and acknowledging our game hasn't evolved as it could have in our post premiership years. It's what some of us have been saying, our style of footy wasn't up to the standards we were capable of producing. Some people on here get chippy too readily whenever a doubt is cast towards Robbo. He's big enough and ugly to cop it and is likely his own harshest critic. It's a measure of the quality of the man. We are blessed that his path crossed ours, and his legacy is still being written.

Totally agree JFC

Many of us supporters were questioning some of Robbo’s tactics and decisions last year only to be told by others we should follow another Club and get off the forum,and we aren’t true supporters..

Now Robbo has come out and admitted the same things a lot of our supporters observed last year lol

Full credit to him and his honest assessment!

[Crab]

Can anyone tell me if the Roosters v Broncs is on free to air , channel 9 . I can't see it on the guides !

[Jacks Fur Coat]

Can anyone tell me if the Roosters v Broncs is on free to air , channel 9 . I can't see it on the guides !

It's showing up in my TV guide that they are doing it, but not the Souths Manly game.

[Crab]

It's showing up in my TV guide that they are doing it, but not the Souths Manly game.

Thanks Jack I had the wrong day but i
had the right week . I can't wait !!!