What’s the Buzz: Roosters take in-house talent development to a new level

The Roosters might have a reputation for buying talent but these are the stats that prove otherwise, and having taken a leaf out of FC Barcelona’s book the future is only looking more local.

Roosters coach Trent Robinson has developed plenty of talent from within. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

A month ago the Roosters were supposed to be signing Maroons Origin hero Cameron Munster.

A week later it was boom winger Selwyn Cobbo. And then another week later Payne Haas.

Nick Politis just laughs it off and points us to statistics that show the Roosters have blooded more NRL debutants and rookies than any other NRL club in the last two years.

There are actually 11 players who have made their NRL debuts at the Roosters in 18 months.

This is more than double the amount of the Dragons, Sea Eagles, Cowboys, Sharks and Titans.

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Anthony Minichiello providing nutritional chat to Sydney Roosters Academy Players

The Roosters now like to see themselves as a development club.

They have invested in a block of units in the eastern suburbs that now houses a dozen of the best young rugby league prospects in the country.

The idea came from a 2020 tour of FC Barcelona’s youth academy that has produced Lionel Messi and a host of European soccer champions from their early teens.

The Roosters academy is run by club legends Mitch Aubusson (general manager), Jake Friend (head coach) and Anthony Minichiello (mentor).

There are boys from New Zealand, the bush and the backyards of rival clubs with the bigger junior leagues.

Politis says it’s the way of the future.

That the next Cooper Cronk, James Tedesco, Brandon Smith, Joey Manu or Joseph Suaalii will come from within.

“Every big name on the open market is always linked to us,” Politis said.

“They are using us to bump up the value of their players, that’s all it is.

“We’re always interested in good players but our major investment these days is in our junior academy.

“We have the smallest junior league of all the Sydney clubs so this is the direction we’ve had to go.”

The Roosters have set up a foundation to fund the academy.

There was a high-end function on Thursday night at the Intercontinental Hotel in Double Bay.

More than $3 million has been raised in two years from the powerful connections and networking of their board members.