Jake Friend to decide Robbie Farah’s Roosters future

THE prospect of Robbie Farah joining the Roosters is entirely up to current Tricolours hooker and skipper Jake Friend writes PHIL ROTHFIELD.

Jake Friend passes during Sydney Roosters training at Kippax Lake,Moore Park.Picture Gregg Porteous

THE final decision on whether Robbie Farah plays for the Sydney Roosters next year will come down to the club’s highly respected co-captain Jake Friend.

That’s how much respect coach Trent Robinson and chairman Nick Politis have for their current hooker and the player tipped to eventually replace Cameron Smith as QLD’s No.9.

They have put too big an investment into Friend to risk upsetting him.

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Farah is a great mate of Boyd Cordner and other NSW Origin players at the Roosters.

It was interesting on Friday that Friend’s back-up hooker at the Roosters Matt McIlwrick must have been tipped off about the possibility of Farah joining the club.

That’s why he signed a one-year deal with the Sharks as a back-up to Michael Ennis.

TITANS MUST RETAIN ROBERTS

The next 48 hours are absolutely critical to the long-term future of the Gold Coast Titans.

Chief executive Graham Annesley and coach Neil Henry have until Wednesday to sign the game’s fastest player James Roberts to a new contract or he will begin talks with rival clubs.

The Titans bungled the re-signing of star centre James Roberts.

The forged signature scandal will cost the club around $200,000 if, as expected, he stays.

We reported last week Roberts was on $330,000-a-year with the Titans.

His value increased substantially when he won the Dally M centre-of-the-year award.

Since the forgery story revealed he is now a free agent, rival clubs have indicated they are prepared to pay $400,000 plus. That’s around the ballpark figure the Titans will have to pay to keep him.

Originally published as Jake Friend to decide Robbie Farah’s Roosters future