Brisbane Broncos wingers Corey Oates and Jamayne Isaako say they haven't heard anything in regards to whispers that James Roberts may join Wayne Bennett at South Sydney next season.
Speculation grew after Benji Marshall called for Roberts to replace Greg Inglis in the Rabbitohs side. Marshall said that South Sydney should be given $1.5 million in salary cap relief to compensate for the loss of Inglis, and the former Bronco believes that Roberts should be the target of South Sydney.
"I have no problem with it (salary cap relief). If he's not there playing, why can't they spend that money and get someone else? And I'd be going after James Roberts," Marshall told Fox Sports.
"Wayne, for a starter, took Jimmy after he had a few issues and pulled him back on the straight and narrow and I just feel like his relationship with Wayne could get that (deal) over the line."
Speaking at a press conference this afternoon, Oates and Isaako confirmed they were left in the dark in regards to the matter.
"I wouldn't have a clue," Oates said.
"You hear talks about it, but we wouldn't have a clue what's going on.
"We just want him back playing for us, playing his best football and doing whatever he can to get back as soon as possible."
Isaako was more of the same.
"I've been seeing a few articles but I haven't really asked him personally. I wouldn't know too much about his relationship there but hopefully he hasn't," the NRL rookie of the year said.
"He's a big key player for us at the Broncos and hopefully he's not in talks with the Rabbitohs."
Roberts showed good form for the Broncos in 2018. He notched up 22 games last season, as well as earning selection for New South Wales in the State of Origin, playing in all three matches.
As far as Oates is concerned, there is no doubting the talent that the 26-year-old possesses.
"He's got unbelievable talent. hes strong, hes fast, hes athletic, hes got great feet.ย To have those types of players in your team is a massive bonus for anyone," he said.
"He's a massive contribution to our team and it would be great to have him back as soon as possible."
Roberts is currently fighting his way back from an achilles tendon injury. He has been sidelined indefinitely by the injury.
James Roberts under Bennett looked anything but straight and narrow
Inglis retirement is a 100% scam he knew 2 months ago . he wanted to retire then but the Rabbitohs kept him there so they could scanned the NRL on the salary cap u cant trust anything with Bennett , he’s a sneaky old ba#tard and look everybody’s seem to think GI is a God . Just remember He’s got a passed he got the Australian captaincy and then goes and drink drives or what about the little extras the storm giving him or abit of a fight with his girlfriend. he’s not as innocent as what everybody thinks. He’s just another play who’s retiring so know hand outs should b granted all players 1 day retire.
What a joke.
If the bunnies are allowed to wipe his salary from their cap, every team that has had to carry a retired players salary on their cap should be able to take that out of their current cap.
Seriously though I can’t see how they can wipe it from their salary when manly couldn’t do it for a couple of their players and Parra couldn’t do it with Watmough.
It’s a pre existing injury so the bunnies MUST carry it on their books.
Why would any established NRL player want to play for a team that plays away from their own region and has no home ground. souffffths are like a team of Nomad Wanderers Who have one name and play under another. Since when is South of Sydney located out in the Western Suburbs. Bunch of CLOWNS๐คก๐คก๐คก๐คก๐คก๐คก๐คก๐คก๐คก๐คก Anyway as Roberts stated a few years ago, “He has more speed than Oxforf St” means he will not be coming back to Sydney if he knows what’s good for him.
Here you are again Woodchip giving your 2 cents worth in a forum relating to Souths.
The envy continues LOL.
To educate you a little, Souths play in different parts of Australia to please the huge following of adoring fans unlike your roosters who struggle at 3rd last on membership tally and home game crowds.
Get used to the gap widening.
Woodduck what are you so worried about or is it jealousy. We have always been the South’s Sydney Rabbitohs unlike the rorters (remember Sydney City). Just keep supporting your basically (Radley excepted) bought team. The other fella talking about scamming, like most you don’t know what you are talking about. Just watch the game. Slater, JT, thaiday, Hodges all retired and all working with their clubs still. Why no noise about that. Have a good night.
Dutto or Mr. Perfect. Nice to chat to someone who never had done a wrong thing or made a mistake. Must be alot of pressure to live with. Also your 100 per cent sure it’s a scam. Sorry to tell you but your 100 per cent wrong. South’s have been trying to convince GI to play on. He has had enough. That’s it. Maybe you should start writing some fictional novels. You seem to be good at it. Have a good one.
I donโt think Souths should get any salary cap relief this year. Next year, fine. But not this year.
Not worried about anything. At 99yrs of age whats to worry about๐คฃ๐๐๐ช๐๐. Inferior people always like to come out with the old “your jealous” line because they don’t like the truth. The truth is we at the mighty Roosters won last years Premiership and knocked souffffths out of the race one game short of the big dance. Keeping the so called best attacking team scoreless. And you call me jealous. Jealousy is for immature people who haven’t learnt to grow up. Or souffffths fans who still cant except you guys were notgood enough last season, by a long way.
As for inglis he was fit at the start of the year then reports came out that he hurt himself at training with one of his knees, then the next report was he was 15kgs overweight, then the next report was when he lost the weight which he said he was still 5kg over weight that Bennett ask him if he wanted to play fullback. Then the next thing was he got hurt during the Roosters game and then next game his shoulder was giving him grief and he couldn’t tackle.
Then the next thing was he was rested for a couple of weeks until he recovered then the final bit of information was that he was granted a week off to see where his head was and the next week he announced his retirement.
Soufffths are trying to pull a swiftie here because his shoulder was wrecked against the Mighty Roosters. Remember he played uninjured and played 20 games last season. This season he gets injured in the first game and then the diagnosis is not even an operation can fix it so he is by retiring trying to free up the salary cap when in reality he is out for the season through injury. Get your hand off it mate. Have a good night.๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
I agree suechi
100% Scam, I no how Bennett works he coach my team for 20+ years he didn’t wake up last week Bennett would of had this planned from day dot when GI said he was done . Wayne would of told him give him a handful of weeks to work out how to scam the system.
That is the most dumbest thing i’ve heard dutto
Woodchook is a goose and Souths are a great, proud club but can you provide any verifiable references of any non-Souths commentators or historians who have actually said “WHEN SOUTHS ARE GOING GOOD SO IS RUGBY LEAGUE”. I would even accept something similar. It has always sounded like something only Souths fans would say and IMO a load of rubbish. I am sure every supporter thinks that League is at its best when their club is winning. Souths were mostly crap during the Mid 70’s 80’s and 90’s and IMO it was League at its very best.
100% it sets a dangerous precedent. Clubs can exploit season ending injuries for cap relief. If Inglis stays retired (and i am sure he will) Souths should be able to spend the coin next year.
Penso, you and I (and others) have been on this site for several years. It used to be a place where rugby league enthusiasts could discuss relevant club issues, have some friendly banter, but still respect each other. Now days it has become a platform for poorly educated trolls who don’t have friends so they turn to this site, have a bad grasp of the English language, show their lack of class and hate any team that has a better following than the team they support.
They show no knowledge of the game, disrespect most peoples opinions and get personal when they are shown to be an idiot. I refuse to comment on anything they say no matter how much it irks me. When you respond they drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.. Oh, and another thing, some of them are usually first or second to respond to and an article and some of them have found an ’emoji’ key.
Yea I thought so ๐ A Bennett might b 68 but he’s still a player. It’s funny when Bennett was at the Broncos all use would talk about was the brown paper bag , now he’s at the rabb’s O he wouldn’t do something like that. Come on he’s the best a playing the media and working has 2cents into the NRL rule book, (example Matt Lodge and Roberts) I bet he could get Todd Carney a run back in the nrl.
Envy is a childish state of mind that people should grow out of. Why would I be envious of souffffthsโโโโ๐๐๐๐๐ We at the Roosters are defending premiers and current World Champions. We are 2nd on the table and in front of souffffths so your jealousy theory dosent stand up in court Stevesyd. ๐ช๐๐
Memberships don’t mean a thing, If souffffths have 28k of members why don’t they average a home crowd of at least 20k at every game over a full season. ๐๐๐๐๐I have given you the facts and over a 17 year period since souffffths returned from being booted out there home crowd average is only 15,092 between the seasons 2002-2018 while the Roosters is not far behind with 14,452. For a club that has 28,000 plus members to the Roosters 14 500 members its not a great difference that 640 extra people turn up to souffffths games each week than Sydney’s games each week over the past 17 years.๐๐๐๐๐
As for the Roosters not promoting the game, well I’m delighted to inform you that your story is another one of your made up false accusations. The Roosters play at Adelaide and the Central coast๐ช๐๐check out the link below to confirm my accuracy.
https://afltables.com/rl/crowds/summary.html
I agree 100%. Next year no problem. This year you’ve got to suck it up. Just like if you have a bloke on the books and he gets injured for the season.
100% agree – example – Gareth Whidop. Perhaps he should hold a Press Conference & “retire”
Why do people have a problem with this? He has walked away from the $1.5 Million, Brett Stewart and Steve Matai were not willing to walk away from the money in their contacts and thatโs the difference.
I would imagine the majority of NRL players would not walk away from that kind of money.
Correct.
The objectors are the rooster fans (all 500 of them) who are in panic state losing Mitchell.
Mitchell is a thoroughbred Rooster who one day will be a Sydney Rooster captain. We at the Roosters have nurtured these two young men Mitchell and Manu from mid teenagers and they will never depart the Roosters, They have both grown up at the Roosters and will be 300 game players for the Sydney Roosters.๐ช๐๐
Soufffffths best bet is trying to get the bloke who has more speed than Oxford St. But that will push out good up and comer Burns out of your “TRANSIT LOUNGE” club.
https://www.roosters.com.au/news/2015/06/16/roosters-re-sign-up-and-coming-juniors/
๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐๐๐
Chalky, Look at the facts above. soufffffths only attract 640 people more than the Roosters in home game averegaes over a 17yr period. Hardly the “pride of the League” stuff mate.
Anyway I know the bloke who your talking about and he in fact has left the site. SST1D_1970 alias Reg alias Nero is a splitter, went over to roar. Hopefully your only and best mate p.e.n.z.0 alias ManWar69er ducks for cover and pings off over there with his only best mate also, who mustn’t be too much of a best buddy if he abandoned him here . He did say that he had his email address. ๐๐คฃ๐๐๐ฅด๐๐๐คฃ๐๐๐ฅด๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐คฃ
By the way Chalky. One more time for the dummies. The emoji keys are…. press and hold the windows key, then press the full stop button.๐คก๐คก๐คก๐คก๐คก๐คก๐คก๐คก and if you can’t spell CLOWN, Then just write Chalky๐ช๐๐
Soufffffths won 11 of them before 1932 when I can still remember Horse and Carts with horse manure in the streets around the inner city of Sydney.
Ancient History mate. What you need to braggg about is in the past 48yrs souffffffths have purchased 1 premiership and played in 1 grand final. ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ๐๐๐คฃ.. CLOWN๐คก
And another lol@siebold+donkeysceo/paulwhite for getting rid of wayne bennett whom has my team souths on tied 1st hows the donkeys doing? Bennett would be giggling his head off bennett still rules.i wonder if paul white looks in the mirror and says we need you back wayne bennett oh sorry paul you got your school mate siebold im happy at souths cheerio…
Go the raiders…
How can any Chickens supporter ever try & take some high road, when it comes to talking about ‘ buying a premiership ‘?
Virtually no players that play for the tri colours actually come from the eastern suburbs.
The premiership win last year was based on buying Keary, Tedesco, Cronk Etc. Most players there are bought .
Nothing’s changed in many years.
I noticed the Bears brought on a couple of new players last week. This time from a winning Manly lower grades team.
You should avoid mentioning anything about buying competitions or players by any other club. As your club would be hard pressed to field a team in any grade or age group, without buying in almost all of the players.
What a Joke!!!
As Brad Fittler said about Packer those years ago. Don’t worry about building the junior teams & all that crap. Who Do We Buy to Win us a Competition!