Robinson Speaks Out: Smith’s Rabbitohs Move, Young Saga, and DCE Rumours
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Sydney Roosters head coach Trent Robinson has spoken candidly about several key player movements, clearing the air on Brandon Smith’s immediate future, Dominic Young’s contract confusion, and the club’s rumoured interest in veteran halfback Daly Cherry-Evans.
🔄 Brandon Smith set to join Rabbitohs effective immediately
Roosters hooker Brandon Smith is set to make an early switch to the South Sydney Rabbitohs, pending a medical which took place Monday morning.
Smith, who has not played in 2025 due to an ACL injury, had already signed with Souths for the 2026 season, but the move will now happen much sooner.
“Brandon is doing his medical this morning, so I think that’s pretty clean and should get sorted out today,” Robinson said.
“He will move over there from, I’d say, tomorrow as far as I know. That’ll get the tick off today from Souths.”
Robinson confirmed the decision was driven by salary cap management, not form or attitude.
“It was financial for us really. He was going to come back and contribute... but he is going there next year, it gets them a head start. We did it with Mark [Nawaqanitawase] last year. The earlier you can get them in the door, the better — for the club they're going to and financially for us.”
Smith is still approximately seven weeks away from a return to the field.
⚠️ Robinson frustrated by Knights’ “backflip” on Dom Young
Robinson also addressed the media storm surrounding winger Dominic Young, who was dropped to reserve grade last week and has since been linked with a shock return to the Newcastle Knights.
Despite suggestions the Roosters were pushing Young out, Robinson insisted it was the Knights who initiated contact — then reneged on the arrangement.
“Dom is here, he played on the weekend. To be honest, all that has been fairly annoying… It’s as if we were trying to push him out. That wasn’t the case.”
“Newcastle rang up — obviously after speaking to his manager — asking to get him out. We said yes. They wanted us to pay the whole year. We went, ‘No, if you want him, you pay.’ They said they had the money… now they’ve backtracked.”
Robinson admitted the ordeal had unsettled both Young and the club unnecessarily.
“It’s sort of thrown Dom in a spin and us all this week… He hasn’t done anything wrong in all of this either. We’ve been really clear with him, but it has been an annoying week.”
The coach also clarified Young’s demotion was purely based on form, noting that new signing Mark Nawaqanitawase had simply outperformed him.
“He is on contract, there’s no issue. I just thought Mark was outplaying him. It happens every week in sport — he is a starting NRL player, but Mark was playing slightly better.”
🧠 No recent talks with DCE — Roosters focused on youth and retention
Robinson downplayed speculation that the club was freeing up salary cap space to target Daly Cherry-Evans, confirming that while there was interest, discussions haven’t progressed for over a month.
“I said it maybe six weeks ago that we were interested [in DCE]. We haven’t had any discussions since then with his management.”
Instead, the coach revealed the Roosters’ cap space would go toward renegotiating deals with existing squad members and locking in their promising young core.
“The freeing up [of salary cap] is about building the best squad we can possibly build. That will be about re-negotiations with about three of our guys already on contracts.”
“We’ve already recruited Reece Robson for next year… and 29 or 30 of our full squad have come through our system — as much as any team in the competition. That will continue.”
🔚 Summary
In a candid press conference, Robinson reaffirmed the Roosters’ commitment to transparency and long-term planning, while firmly setting the record straight on multiple player situations. With Brandon Smith set for Redfern, Dominic Young still in Bondi colours, and no movement on the Cherry-Evans front, the Roosters are staying the course — and making it clear they won’t be dictated to by outside noise.