When Trent Robinson received a text message early Wednesday morning hinting that David Fifita might be reconsidering his decision to join the Sydney Roosters, he simply laughed it off.
“[I] thought, ‘Oh well, that's footy', and moved on,” Robinson said.
“It was pretty simple. I had a chuckle to myself about the circus that our game is ... and went back to work.”
Robinson discussed Fifita's surprising decision to stay with the Titans, despite a lucrative $3.3 million four-year offer from the Roosters during a press conference on Friday. He revealed that Fifita surprisingly hadn't called to explain the change of heart, nor does he expect to hear from him.
Robinson admitted he knew days before the decision was finalised that Fifita was having second thoughts.
“It's always disappointing, but when that happens you know it wasn't right,” he said. “You just end up going that wasn't meant to be, and therefore it was the better position for us to be in, him not coming, and then move on. We still believe in the guys we've got. We're going to hold our cool for the moment.”
Robinson confirmed that the door has re-opened for Angus Crichton to re-sign with the Roosters, and that Sitili Tupouniua will not be negotiating an early release with rival clubs.
Robinson also voiced his support for the NRL's 10-day cooling-off period, which allows players to reconsider their decisions.
Fifita, who faced boos from some Titans fans after news of his intended move to the Roosters leaked, is set to play against the Knights during Magic Round on Saturday.
The Roosters will be taking on the table-topping Sharks immediately after, with media attention likely to focus on any interaction between Fifita and his almost-teammates at Suncorp Stadium.