NRL 2021: Roosters coach Trent Robinson on NRL fine

Roosters coach Trent Robinson has accepted the NRL’s decision to fine him but says he would do it all again.

Joey Manu and Latrell Mitchell are separated.

Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson has stood-by his post-match comments declaring he would “deliver the same press conference” again despite the five-figure fine dished out by the NRL.

Robinson acknowledged and accepted the NRL’s decision to fine him $30,000 for his post-game comments following the dramatic end to their loss to South Sydney last week.

But he was adamant even with hindsight he would stick-by his comments.

The race to the 2021 NRL Telstra Finals Series is on and every game matters. Watch Live & Ad-Break Free on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-days free >

“I would sit in there and deliver the same post-match press conference that I delivered,” Robinson said. “That does not mean disrespect to the NRL. They have to understand my position and I’ll stand behind that. I standby what I said in that game post-match and my views on that.

“I understand the NRL acted on some things I said. That’s the balance of the game.

“My (comments) after the game was not just about the game or Souths. It was about the system this year.”

Nick Politis has broken his silence on the incident. Picture: Toby Zerna

The club were fined $10,000 amid concerns players and staff abused match officials on the sideline.

Robinson said the club could learn from the fall-out.

“You have to get over it and have to head towards playing the next game,” Robinson said. “We need to be better in that area. We felt there was an injustice and we reacted towards that. “I don’t feel slighted. I was proud in the way we handled things. There are some lessons there.”

Robinson also said the way people have reacted to South Sydney’s Latrell Mitchell has been “too much”. He backed Mitchell and Manu to mend fences.

Joey Manu and Latrell Mitchell are separated.

The Roosters coach said it would “depend on the game scenario” if he would take his spot back on the sidelines.

Meanwhile, Roosters boss Nick Politis described Mitchell’s tackle on Manu as “unnecessary”. Politis revealed he watched the incident with tears in his eyes as he saw how badly injured Manu was. Manu re-joined the Roosters squad after undergoing surgery and having three metal plates inserted into his cheek.

“I was shattered,” Politis told the Roosters Radio podcast. “Forget about the result, just the fact, when you see that scene on TV that he went back to Latrell with tears in his eyes and his face busted, and he didn’t go back with any animosity or to have a fight he went back and said, ‘why, why, what’s the matter with you’, and probably used a few other words. ‘We’re good mates, we won two premierships together, we won two grand finals together. Why did you do that?’ That to me just broke me up I had tears in my eyes.”

In a wide-ranging interview, the Roosters chairman called for the NRL to put an end to blow-out scores.

“The other seven or eight clubs at the bottom, their fans will get pissed off and turn off the TV,” Politis said. “You can’t keep watching your team losing by 30-60 points each week. That’s the thing I am always arguing with the NRL. We need to go back to the game we had for 100-odd years.

“Its all about attack (now). It’s wonderful if you’re supporting one of the (top teams).