Mate - he wants Roberts off his salary cap next year. What else is he going to say?
If we want to offload him we are going to pay some of his salary next year at his next club which will come under our salary cap in 2016. What we need to do is minimise the amount that we will have to pay.
It is about supply and demand.
If we keep him in first grade and say what a good footballer he is we are only ever going to get 1 club interested with low offer.
If we say what everyone sees and state he is struggling and actually drop him to reserves and tell him he doesn't feature in our plans for 2016 and will be in reserve grade in 2016, there are likely to be more clubs circulating to gain his services including clubs who don't necessarily have a spot for him in 1st grade but would make a bid for him anyway for depth.
The more clubs interested the higher the price he is likely to get resulting in a lower amount we would need to pay Roberts in 2016.
If we provide the environment where we can increase demand, the higher the price for him, the less amount we will pay.
Economics at its best.
Notwithstanding this, it will finally put the whole squad on notice that the club means business about the current unacceptable performance.