Indigenous Round celebrations, facing an old acquaintance and handing a rookie his second NRL cap make up a huge weekend for Trent Robinson.
The Sydney Roosters Head Coach was quick to cite the importance of the NRL's Indigenous Round, particularly around the charitable work done by proud Gamilaroi man Connor Watson and his foundation, Cultural Choices Association.
Robinson: "We Need to Add Some Finishing Touches Tomorrow Night"
While the celebrations that Indigenous Round brings highlights a strong relationship with Rugby League, Robinson also pushed for more change in modern Australia to help close the gap and integrate Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander communities and culture into modern Australia.
"We got to talk about Artie Beetson this morning and what he did," he said.
"Being the first Indigenous Captain in Australia for any sport was a big step forward, that was done in Roosters colours but also in the Australian jersey.
"Usually sport has to push the limits. Usually, we're less political than the political system so we have to keep pushing forward. There are great current players that are doing that.
"Obviously Connor with his foundation and the boots to really target an area, or whether it's the voice of Latrell (Mitchell) and the pushing and the understanding of the pride that he has in his people and to stand and stand strong.
"We've constantly got those players in our game and we have to listen and lead the way.
"The overall feeling of Indigenous Round, there's two things for me; there's our celebration of the Indigenous impact on Rugby League, and what it's done for our competition and the love of our game.
"The way we love watching the Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander players play our game, the love that they have for it.
"Then there's the reason we have to have it; because we're not there yet. We haven't progressed enough.
"We've still got to work on integrating and working towards a better place. We're on a good path on it.
"We've been on it for 20 years but we're still not there and we need to acknowledge it, recognise it and move further towards it. It's up to the players that are playing, that generation that is playing, to push it as well.
"We need to do better."
Coming up against surprise packets in the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks will also see Robinson face up against former assistant and close friend Craig Fitzgibbon.
While the Roosters Coach did reveal the two had spoken through the week, he insisted that the focus was solely on his side and their performance.
"It's a footy game, he's one of my best mates and that's not going to change wherever he's at," Robinson explained.
"But we've got a game against the Sharks where you have to separate the personal bit from the professional bit there.
"We had our conversation at the start of the week and we got it over and done with, we'll get on coaching our teams and going for the victory.
We've been on it for 20 years but we're still not there and we need to acknowledge it, recognise it and move further towards it. It's up to the players that are playing, that generation that is playing, to push it as well.
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"My job is to coach the Roosters and for the performance tomorrow night, that's what we're here for so let's get ready to go and play the football we want to play.
"We're on the same points and they've played some good footy there along the way there. I feel like they've progressed well and offered up opportunities at stages.
"We're at that point of the season where we know what their style is now and we want to be at our best and take that on.
"We know where we're at, we know what kind of team we want to be. We know who we are and how we want to play.
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"There are some areas that we've identified that we want to keep pushing. I'm really liking some of the plays and the way that we're playing the game.
"We need to add some finishing touches tomorrow night."
One player that has caught the eye of Roosters Members and supporters has been hard-running front rower Terrell May, who made his first-grade debut in last week's match against Penrith.
The three-time Premiership-winning mentor was candid about May's progression to the top grade, highlighting the hard work that the 23-year-old has put in to earn his position in the seventeen.
"He had a contract with Norths to train with us for five weeks like we do with some players to get a view on them," Robinson explained.
"He was really impressive - quite raw - and worked really hard. Then he was the dominant forward in the reserve competition week after week for ten weeks.
"It's a classic case of a young player saying 'I'm going to play first grade' and eventually he picked himself by his performances.
"It's a real credit to him and I'm looking forward to seeing him playing his second game."
