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Roosters coach shoots down Haas talk

3 minute read

Frustrated Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson has angrily denied suggestions disgruntled Brisbane prop Payne Haas could be headed to Bondi Junction.

TRENT ROBINSON.
TRENT ROBINSON. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Fed up with constant speculation linking star players to his NRL club, Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson has lashed out at "silly" suggestions that Payne Haas could be headed to Bondi Junction.

Haas on Thursday unsuccessfully sought an immediate release from his contract with Brisbane, sparking almost instant talk of the NSW State of Origin prop joining the Roosters.

Robinson on Friday, though, shot down any such suggestions.

"It's just another week with another player being linked to our club. It keeps getting put out there but it's got nothing to do with us," Robinson said on the eve of the Roosters' crunch match with Cronulla at PointsBet Stadium.

"It's obviously a dispute for them up there to deal with. Changing focus on to another club or our club, it doesn't need to be brought up because there's nothing to it.

"That's obviously what they're trying to do ... It's quite insignificant to what we're trying to do week to week."

Robinson described rumours of Haas joining his premiership heavyweights as "pie in the sky" and said his frustration was borne from years of similar speculation.

"We're really clear: there's been no discussion. No internal discussions, no external discussions," said the three-times premiership-winning mentor.

Melbourne superstar Cameron Munster and the Broncos' new cult hero Selwyn Cobbo have also been linked to a move to the Roosters.

"There's been one a week for the last three weeks and none of them are true," Robinson said.

"So at some point you've got to say - we've had it year on year for many years. There's constant speculation.

"But anybody can get a free ride on the back of talking about the Roosters or divert (attention), which probably happened in the last couple of weeks.

"Payne's situation doesn't really affect our players because they know it's not there.

"But there's been other ones that have been really distracting because they're completely false and people want to make up stuff.

"But that's our world. People are interested. It will fill a few columns, it will make the news possibly tonight, but it's untrue."

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