By Dan Walsh
Trent Robinson knows Sandon Smith “can play better,” which is why the Roosters utility isn’t playing.
Chad Townsend is instead getting a run against the Cronulla outfit he won a title with almost a decade ago, in part because he still likes to curl up on the lounge, after 267 NRL games, and pour over a good stats package.
And all the while, Robinson and his Roosters are, in the words of their coach, searching for their soul and identity.
With the best post-Origin record of any side in the past five seasons (Fox Sports has them winning 85 per cent of late-season games since 2021) and a run of games against finals contenders, the Tricolours will be fascinating to watch for the next two months.
Already, they’ve surprised plenty of people in 2025, not so much with their overall 8-8 record, but with their thumping upsets of Penrith, Brisbane and Cronulla, and the manner in which they came.
Eight debutants and an emphasis on keeping the ball in play for as long, and as expansively, as possible, has fostered thrilling play, and a potentially crippling error rate.
Robinson has surprised once more in opting for 34-year-old Townsend – last sighted playing NRL in the first week of April – over Smith, who steered the Roosters’ enterprising attack in 15 games until Sam Walker’s return from injury.
Chad Townsend during his last NRL appearance for the Roosters in April.Credit: NRL Photos
Hugo Savala will return from a wrist injury in a week or two, and Walker’s own playmaking played its part in Townsend getting the nod.
“I think Chad’s been playing really good footy [in NSW Cup],” Robinson said. “He’s been playing on that right-hand side, and he’s been dominating his role in that position, and Sam’s building his combination.
“I don’t want to keep switching and changing [which edge the Roosters playmakers occupy], so I wanted someone that’s been standing in that position for a long time and been in good form. It’s really nice when you tell a 280-odd gamer that he’s playing again and the passion and the joy that’s in someone’s eyes when you tell them that.
“He’s a real student of the game. He’s one of the only players that’ll take home the stats package and study the game on his computer. He’s a footy nerd. He likes to pass that on in the right way [coaching the Roosters halves]. Now it’s time for him to step out of that and step back into the playing role for us.”
Robinson was emphatic when asked about Smith’s long-term future at the club. He still has one.
The 22-year-old is contracted until the end of next season but has been linked to the Cowboys given the expected arrival of Daly Cherry-Evans at Bondi.
“I think there’s been some good footy, but we really want that combination and being able to nail your role and the combinations around you,” Robinson said of Smith’s marching orders in reserve grade.
“So that’s pretty normal in the halves. There’s a few roles that you have to play, and I know Sandon can play better.”
So can the eighth-placed Roosters, starting against the ninth-placed Sharks.
The real fun starts now for the Roosters and Trent Robinson.Credit: Getty Images
Which is when we get into existential areas, talking rugby league soul alongside scrum base pairings and the Roosters’ regeneration after $4 million worth of talent and more than 900 games of experience walked out the door at the end of last season.
“It’s a dog fight, and it’s an exciting one,” Robinson said of the eight-week run to the finals.
“I think that’s the external part, but it’s never as important as what we think we’re capable of … The motivation’s really internal to be the best team that we can possibly be, find our soul in 2025 as a team and attack that.
“Believing in the players around us, and we knew we wanted to re-establish or establish the Roosters’ identity. And that’s why the next couple of months, that’s the proof.
“I think we’ve shown the longer the ball stays live, the better we’ve been getting, and I think that shows in some statistics as well. We know our discipline needs to improve on that.
“Our attack is potent, and our proof needs to be at the back end of the season.
“We feel like we’re in a good spot, we understand each other, we’re moving well. But the choice for us is to nail it against teams that are competing for that top eight and top four spot.”
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