Connor Watson lifts the lid on ‘really tough’ exit from Newcastle Knights

The decision to return to the Roosters was not an easy one for Connor Watson, as it was a conversation with an old coach that sparked the switch.

Roosters recruit Connor Watson lifted the lid on the conversation he had with Chooks coach Trent Robinson that convinced him to return to Bondi. Picture: Albert Perez / Getty Images

It was a number of “really exciting” conversations with Roosters coach Trent Robinson that lured Connor Watson back to Bondi after a three-year stint with the Knights.

Watson burst onto the scene for the Chooks in 2016 and spent another year with the club before moving up north to the Hunter region.

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The 25-year-old flourished under Newcastle coach Adam O’Brien, making a name for himself as a star utility option and proving himself as a vital cog in the machine.

However, a number of injuries halted his progress and left Watson pondering if he could ever reach the potential he knew he had.

As he weighed up a move to the Super League, he consulted his former coach Robinson, who just so happened to achieve plenty of success in England himself, for advice.

The dialogue with the coaching great ended up being the catalyst to go back to where it all began.

“Those conversations were really exciting,” Watson said.

“Initially I went to him for some advice from a friend.

“Robbo coached over in the Super League, I was considering my options to go over there.

Roosters coach Trent Robinson was a major factor in Watson opting to return to the club. Picture: Supplied

“He just sort of said, ‘It’s not your time yet. The way the game’s evolving, it’s getting faster.’

“A player like me, who’s versatile, is only going to become more valuable and teams are going to need players like me.

“So he’s like, ‘Don’t go, stay.’

“As that conversation evolved, it was sort of like, ‘I wonder if we can get you here to the Roosters.’

“Then a couple of weeks later, it worked out that they managed to be able to do that.”

The move back to the Roosters was not one made without plenty of thought beforehand.

Watson heads back to Bondi after three years with the Newcastle Knights. Picture: Supplied

Watson was enjoying regular playing time for the Knights, having overcome a number of niggling injuries.

But the lure of playing under Robinson again, who has overseen the development of a number of Watson’s colleagues from his playing days with the Roosters’ U20s, was too good to turn down.

“It was really tough,” Watson said.

“It was also heightened that I was living on the Sunshine Coast with the Knights.

“When I was thinking about the fact that I was going and every second of the day was spent with the Knights, I felt like I was betraying them a little bit.

“It was just a weird feeling.

“In the end, I’m really happy with the decision I made. I think it’s going to be best for my footy and hopefully I can take my footy to the next level here.”