‘I thought it was a prank call from Robbo’: May breaks silence on Roosters exit

[roosterchook]

To claw back some credibility, is Robbo or the Club going to share our side of the story?

If it wasn’t his footy then the only thing I can think of is a personality clash likely with senior players. He wouldn’t have been sacked without major input from senior players.

[JAF]

If the club gives a player permission to leave, November 1 doesn’t matter.

That’s why May said if the club really wanted to give him the best chance to find a club, they should of told him mid year, when more clubs had options to fill their roster.

Unless the Club had every intention to keep him until recently, where there was a change of mind and hence the release.

Not sure if the truth will ever be known …

[JAF]

It’s a very vague and unacceptable explanation to the fans and public. Imagine what other players must be thinking when it comes to job security? Here one day gone the next! There must be a really, really good reason otherwise all our team will be shaking in their boots not knowing if they’ll be next to be shafted because we’re heading in a different direction. Yeah towards the bottom of the table. Who would be crazy to take a job at easts after this? May’s playing the innocent victim and the club is willing to take a flogging by the media and fans. Hmmm.

100% agree with you RC and this silence is just battering our reputation.

May has taken the path of airing his dirty laundry - let’s close this story by burying him with the truth and reasons why we let him go!

[ism22]

Anybody on here watched the movie Moneyball? Brad Pitt gives you a perfect example of how to tell a person they are no longer wanted. It lasts all of 2 minutes and he explains exactly why it only lasts that long.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTjhHrcyiQI

No but I've seen The Cannonball Run, which involves racing a Countach from coast to coast in the US (full speed).

It inspired the classic game Outrun (where you race some form of Ferrari from coast to coast on an open road with different roads/cities/sunsets...etc along the way). It has some awesome chill music and there's a hot blonde chick next to you. One day I aspire to be the dude from that game... he seems to have it all setup for him in life :P

On that note (and going further off topic) I did sorta the opposite thing today. I was jogging along the road (crossing a road near home) and some Tesla driver tried speeding up to hurry me up. His car's sensors noticed there was a pedestrian so instead of racing towards me it jammed on the brakes and he had to start off again (missing the lights in the process and flipping the bird at me). I'm not suicidal (please don't try repeating this stunt) but it was kinda funny

[Rooster1908]

If it wasn’t his footy then the only thing I can think of is a personality clash likely with senior players. He wouldn’t have been sacked without major input from senior players.

Teddy said he was shocked and had no idea May was being let go

[HunchoRooster]

Robbo's 30min spiels about being "in the front row code" and "being really clear" didn't resonate with a straight talking, no nonsense westie. Robbo the guru panicked and would rather a disciple like Nat B who likely has a similar intellectual, highly analytical mindset. To me, coaching is about getting the best out of every individual. Robbo has failed in that department in this instance.

[ism22]

Robbo's 30min spiels about being "in the front row code" and "being really clear" didn't resonate with a straight talking, no nonsense westie. Robbo the guru panicked and would rather a disciple like Nat B who likely has a similar intellectual, highly analytical mindset. To me, coaching is about getting the best out of every individual. Robbo has failed in that department in this instance.

I tend to agree.

However to be fair, he got some pretty darn good results out of May, Teddy's been Dally M and a lot of Roosters players have made it into rep teams under his mentorship (this includes pretty much a full rep team if you include what... Teddy, Toops, Manu, Latrell, Sua'ali'i, Keary, Collins, Friend, Leniu, Cords as AU captain, Crichton (best of the Origin series this year), Rads/Tauks/Whyte, Watson...etc.

Like I dunno. Sure we buy players but how many of the above were 'bought' and of those, which ones hit new heights under Robbo?

We're definitely going through a difficult patch where we can't put together a team to compete with the top-2. I dunno if Robbo's doing a shyte job or if (like when QLD won ~10 in a row), we're simply up against two teams that are gonna go down in the history books as being invincible (because Cleary and Bellamy are so farking good, and have also had a heap of rule changes that heavily disadvantage Robbo's style, knocking him out of their league). Maybe... just maybe... the fact we beat them in 2013 and 2018-19 was an abnormality as we were just sooo frigging good (plus had luck on our side with some really special signings, which we can't always have).

[BondiBob]

Exactly.

I know we are just dumb fans - but the truth wouldn't hurt. To read the article, May seems hard done by. But if there is another side to the story, then let's hear it. What does ' go in a different direction ' mean anyway ??

IMO, I just get the sense the coach is not really into the ' fans ' part of the game.

Maybe some of Robinson’s fried air (crap) like to Roosters way that is a myth for the last 6 years . Seriously this guy aimed up big time when some of our big names JWH for instance barely played a game I hope Tyrell goes on to big things as I enjoyed his play this year

[King Salvo]

Keep May and lose the Va'a brothers is probably the way to look at it as well - De La Salle has edged ahead of Xavier but both will play a big part going forward.

Will have the same issue with Jake Elliot and Toby Rodwell when they become NRL ready - Sam Walker and Sandon Smith the incumbents - both have long careers ahead of them at 22 - Where will Jake and Toby play ?

[Vasco]

I tend to agree.

However to be fair, he got some pretty darn good results out of May, Teddy's been Dally M and a lot of Roosters players have made it into rep teams under his mentorship (this includes pretty much a full rep team if you include what... Teddy, Toops, Manu, Latrell, Sua'ali'i, Keary, Collins, Friend, Leniu, Cords as AU captain, Crichton (best of the Origin series this year), Rads/Tauks/Whyte, Watson...etc.

Like I dunno. Sure we buy players but how many of the above were 'bought' and of those, which ones hit new heights under Robbo?

We're definitely going through a difficult patch where we can't put together a team to compete with the top-2. I dunno if Robbo's doing a shyte job or if (like when QLD won ~10 in a row), we're simply up against two teams that are gonna go down in the history books as being invincible (because Cleary and Bellamy are so farking good, and have also had a heap of rule changes that heavily disadvantage Robbo's style, knocking him out of their league). Maybe... just maybe... the fact we beat them in 2013 and 2018-19 was an abnormality as we were just sooo frigging good (plus had luck on our side with some really special signings, which we can't always have).

You tend to agree with HunchoRooster yet make some very good points to the contrary.

I tend to agree with your good points to the contrary.

[Chook2]

I tend to agree.

However to be fair, he got some pretty darn good results out of May, Teddy's been Dally M and a lot of Roosters players have made it into rep teams under his mentorship (this includes pretty much a full rep team if you include what... Teddy, Toops, Manu, Latrell, Sua'ali'i, Keary, Collins, Friend, Leniu, Cords as AU captain, Crichton (best of the Origin series this year), Rads/Tauks/Whyte, Watson...etc.

Like I dunno. Sure we buy players but how many of the above were 'bought' and of those, which ones hit new heights under Robbo?

We're definitely going through a difficult patch where we can't put together a team to compete with the top-2. I dunno if Robbo's doing a shyte job or if (like when QLD won ~10 in a row), we're simply up against two teams that are gonna go down in the history books as being invincible (because Cleary and Bellamy are so farking good, and have also had a heap of rule changes that heavily disadvantage Robbo's style, knocking him out of their league). Maybe... just maybe... the fact we beat them in 2013 and 2018-19 was an abnormality as we were just sooo frigging good (plus had luck on our side with some really special signings, which we can't always have).

At times robbo can struggle and I think he goes well when his team and coaching methods are working but may struggle to go back to the drawing board to allow the team to compete better against the two top teams the last few seasons

2021 I bellieve we would have been a huge chance to win the title and best sense 2019 and from then the best chance to win had we have had our best 17 in the finals

ATM our attack improved and the flair for 2024 from the last two years
defence fell back and also attacking mindset to be patient and work set for set compared to trying to score off every set are two key parts this team needs

[Rooster_6]

Robbo's 30min spiels about being "in the front row code" and "being really clear" didn't resonate with a straight talking, no nonsense westie. Robbo the guru panicked and would rather a disciple like Nat B who likely has a similar intellectual, highly analytical mindset. To me, coaching is about getting the best out of every individual. Robbo has failed in that department in this instance.

Robbo got May from a reserve grader to a 750k contract.

When you say he has failed in getting the most out of this individual, fair to say I'm confused...

[HunchoRooster]

Robbo got May from a reserve grader to a 750k contract.

When you say he has failed in getting the most out of this individual, fair to say I'm confused...

May's career trajectory and earning potential are largely dependent on May himself and his manager. Robbo's job is to use May effectively within the team environment and get the best out of him on the field, like any other player.

I believe he values the buy-in and like mindedness of a player over their actual ability in many instances, not just May. For me, it is about putting your best 17 out every week and using different techniques to get the best out of each individual to work towards the collective goal. For him to think May has reached his potential (if that is indeed what he said, we'll never know) and that he doesn't fit into our best 17, there is more nuance to his decision making apart from ability alone. As I think nearly everyone would agree that he hasn't reached his potential at age 25.

Basically in a nut shell the job of the coach is to either get every player to completely buy in either directly or indirectly. If he considered May surplus to requirements based off perceived lax attitude or not attending end of season events, then he isn't willing to get the most of him as a player.

[King Salvo]

May's career trajectory and earning potential are largely dependent on May himself and his manager. Robbo's job is to use May effectively within the team environment and get the best out of him on the field, like any other player.

I believe he values the buy-in and like mindedness of a player over their actual ability in many instances, not just May. For me, it is about putting your best 17 out every week and using different techniques to get the best out of each individual to work towards the collective goal. For him to think May has reached his potential (if that is indeed what he said, we'll never know) and that he doesn't fit into our best 17, there is more nuance to his decision making apart from ability alone. As I think nearly everyone would agree that he hasn't reached his potential at age 25.

Basically in a nut shell the job of the coach is to either get every player to completely buy in either directly or indirectly. If he considered May surplus to requirements based off perceived lax attitude or not attending end of season events, then he isn't willing to get the most of him as a player.

May is getting 2 million for 3 years at the Tigers compared to 950k for 2 years at the Roosters - Time for May to move on as he is receiving a significant payrise as a result.

Opportunity knocks for Whyte /Wong and Va'a Brothers to develop into top notch regular NRL Players.

[ism22]

May is getting 2 million for 3 years at the Tigers compared to 950k for 2 years at the Roosters - Time for May to move on as he is receiving a significant payrise as a result.

Opportunity knocks for Whyte /Wong and Va'a Brothers to develop into top notch regular NRL Players.

Agreed. It was confusing at the time but the facts have come out now and May's now earning $$$ so I reckon both parties have moved on now.

As Robbo said... it's not the kinda call you love making to a player (same with Cheese). However, these things happen.