SMH: Robson delighted at career turnaround

[StEely Matt]

Robson delighted at career turnaround

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-sport/robson-delighted-at-career-turnaround-20090916-fqux.html

TODD BALYM

September 16, 2009 - 1:14PM

When Scott Prince was signing a "lifetime" deal with the Gold Coast Titans earlier this year, Jeff Robson was contemplating whether he had a life in rugby league at all.
The understudy halfback at Parramatta, 27-year-old Robson has played second or even third fiddle ever since he made his NRL debut for Manly in 2004.
But fortune has favoured the battler from Leeton, NSW, with the early season release of Brett Finch handing Robson the first-grade opportunity he spent six years waiting for.
Now, after 16 consecutive NRL games as starting halfback for the Eels, he is confident he has a future in the top grade and will lead Parramatta into a semi-final battle with Prince's Titans at Sydney Football Stadium on Friday night.
"To be honest I was just hoping to get a handful of games this year and I've been lucky enough now to play I think 18 or 19 games now," said Robson.
"All I sort of needed was an opportunity to get some games back to back and build confidence."
While Robson is far from the flashiest halfback, he doesn't need to be spectacular in a side boasting the attacking genius of Jarryd Hayne and young gun Daniel Mortimer.
So anonymous was Robson out at Parramatta, the car parking attendant refused to believe he was a player when he arrived at the gates for a game earlier this year.
Not any more.
Robson has been the rock-solid player coach Daniel Anderson has needed while the likes of Hayne and Mortimer add the polish to their golden run.
Robson said the stunning turnaround individually and as a club has meant he has aborted plans to quit the NRL at the end of 2009, and he is negotiating another deal with the Eels.
"Yeah I was thinking about at the end of the season if it didn't work out I'd get a good job," said Robson.
"I would probably play park footy next year but hopefully I can get something worked out with Parra next year and it's all good.
"I'm pretty much sorted but I haven't signed on the dotted line yet.
"It's all about playing footy at the moment and I will sort it out later.
"Hopefully we can get those couple of wins to the grand final."

© 2009 AAP

 

[mickdo]

Sounds like he'll be back next year for sure

 

[Stagger eel]

lol...it's a robo fest.

ok, so he's agreed to terms but yet to put pen to paper, great news.

 

[The Colonel]

Good stuff Robbo..... worry about it after.

 

[natheel]

yeh get the bigger picture (premiership) in check now worry about contracts later

 

[Twizzle]

great defender and a very high work rate, but sorry, he offers nothing in offence

he's a Finch clone

kicks down the fullbacks throat and passes off to players in no better positions than himself and he will not run at the line, I'm still yet to see him put some one through a hole

I'll cheers him on in the blue and gold but he is good backup and he belongs at Wenty imo

 

[mickdo]

he's a Finch clone

He throws sh*t passes all day? I don't think so...

 

[Parra Steve]

Defensivly he's fantastic, his attack isnt great but his role is just to act as a link between the forwards and the backs and i thinks he's doing a very good job. Shame that he wasnt bigger, he'd make a great 2nd rower.

 

[Hurriflatch]

Yet another Robbo story

Eels set to re-sign Jeff Robson

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Ben Blaschke NRL.com Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:47:00
Parramatta have received a huge boost on the eve of their sudden-death clash with the Gold Coast this Friday night with halfback Jeff Robson poised to sign a new one-year deal with the club.

The unlikely success story of the Eels’ 2009 campaign, Robson was only called into the top squad following the mid-season departure of Brett Finch and injury to Kris Keating but has since played a key role in his side’s surge into premiership contention.

“Parramatta has made me an offer and I’m pretty happy with it,” Robson told NRL.com this morning.

“Hopefully I can put pen to paper and sort it out as soon as possible.

“I played my junior footy at Parra and it was good to come back. “This year has been great so I’d love to stay.”

The Eels have recruited strongly for next season with Justin Poore and Shane Shackleton set to bolster the forward pack and strike centre Timana Tahu returning after two years in rugby union.

Their pending arrival means the future of back-rower Todd Lowrie remains cloudy but chief executive Paul Osborne said the club had been reluctant to release Robson.

“He has done such a great job for Daniel (Anderson) this year… he has become an integral part of our squad,” Osborne said.

Robson’s is arguably the most remarkable story of 2009.

The 27-year-old had played just six first grade games in five seasons at Manly and returned home to Parramatta this year as third-choice halfback.

Even when he received a shock call-up against South Sydney in Round 11 it was supposed to be only a stop-gap measure, but his combination with rookie five-eighth Daniel Mortimer has since laid the foundation for the side’s finals push.

“I was signed as back-up and I thought I had a good chance of playing first grade but was never going to be a permanent fixture,” Robson recalled.

“If I played a handful of games I would have been really happy so to play 19 now has been unreal.

“I suppose you’ve just got to wait for your opportunity and I was lucky enough to get one this year.

“It’s been frustrating in the past.

“I’ve had some injuries that have held me back at times and, especially being a halfback, I think you need to get the opportunity to play a few games back to back to settle into the team.

“When I first came in I just tried to do my job to the best of my ability but over the last 10 games my confidence has gotten better and I think that has showed.”

Robson said that his only concern when coach Daniel Anderson called him into the 17 earlier this season was holding down his spot, yet he is now part of a Parramatta side that has won seven of their past eight games and starting to think about the most unlikely of grand final appearances.

Last Sunday’s stunning defeat of minor premiers St George Illawarra has thrown the title race wide open and, incredibly, the Eels will head into this week’s clash with the Gold Coast as overwhelming $1.30 favourites with TAB Sportsbet to continue their late run.

“I suppose everyone is a chance now,” Robson said. “It’s a pretty even competition.

“But we’re not going to get too far ahead of ourselves.

“We’ve got the Titans this week and they’re a pretty good team.

“It’s the same as last week for us – as long as we defend well and control what we do we’ll give them a shake.”

http://www.nrl.com/newsviews/latest.../eels-set-to-re-sign-jeff-robson/default.aspx

 

[The Colonel]

<H1 id=articleHeadline>Eels set to re-sign Jeff Robson

Ben Blaschke NRL.com Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:47:00
Parramatta have received a huge boost on the eve of their sudden-death clash with the Gold Coast this Friday night with halfback Jeff Robson poised to sign a new one-year deal with the club.

The unlikely success story of the Eels&#8217; 2009 campaign, Robson was only called into the top squad following the mid-season departure of Brett Finch and injury to Kris Keating but has since played a key role in his side&#8217;s surge into premiership contention.

&#8220;Parramatta has made me an offer and I&#8217;m pretty happy with it,&#8221; Robson told NRL.com this morning.

&#8220;Hopefully I can put pen to paper and sort it out as soon as possible.

&#8220;I played my junior footy at Parra and it was good to come back. &#8220;This year has been great so I&#8217;d love to stay.&#8221;

The Eels have recruited strongly for next season with Justin Poore and Shane Shackleton set to bolster the forward pack and strike centre Timana Tahu returning after two years in rugby union.

Their pending arrival means the future of back-rower Todd Lowrie remains cloudy but chief executive Paul Osborne said the club had been reluctant to release Robson.

&#8220;He has done such a great job for Daniel (Anderson) this year&#8230; he has become an integral part of our squad,&#8221; Osborne said.

Robson&#8217;s is arguably the most remarkable story of 2009.

The 27-year-old had played just six first grade games in five seasons at Manly and returned home to Parramatta this year as third-choice halfback.

Even when he received a shock call-up against South Sydney in Round 11 it was supposed to be only a stop-gap measure, but his combination with rookie five-eighth Daniel Mortimer has since laid the foundation for the side&#8217;s finals push.

&#8220;I was signed as back-up and I thought I had a good chance of playing first grade but was never going to be a permanent fixture,&#8221; Robson recalled.

&#8220;If I played a handful of games I would have been really happy so to play 19 now has been unreal.

&#8220;I suppose you&#8217;ve just got to wait for your opportunity and I was lucky enough to get one this year.

&#8220;It&#8217;s been frustrating in the past.

&#8220;I&#8217;ve had some injuries that have held me back at times and, especially being a halfback, I think you need to get the opportunity to play a few games back to back to settle into the team.

&#8220;When I first came in I just tried to do my job to the best of my ability but over the last 10 games my confidence has gotten better and I think that has showed.&#8221;

Robson said that his only concern when coach Daniel Anderson called him into the 17 earlier this season was holding down his spot, yet he is now part of a Parramatta side that has won seven of their past eight games and starting to think about the most unlikely of grand final appearances.

Last Sunday&#8217;s stunning defeat of minor premiers St George Illawarra has thrown the title race wide open and, incredibly, the Eels will head into this week&#8217;s clash with the Gold Coast as overwhelming $1.30 favourites with TAB Sportsbet to continue their late run.

&#8220;I suppose everyone is a chance now,&#8221; Robson said. &#8220;It&#8217;s a pretty even competition.

&#8220;But we&#8217;re not going to get too far ahead of ourselves.

&#8220;We&#8217;ve got the Titans this week and they&#8217;re a pretty good team.

&#8220;It&#8217;s the same as last week for us &#8211; as long as we defend well and control what we do we&#8217;ll give them a shake.&#8221;

</H1>
http://www.nrl.com/newsviews/latest.../eels-set-to-re-sign-jeff-robson/default.aspx

I think he does need to learn to go to the line and not always look to pass. There were times on Sunday that had he run instead of looking to pass he could have found open space. That said I think he is doing a great job particularly down the right side.

 

[NorthShoreEel]

He deserves it.

 

[forward pass]

I am personally surprised by this. He has done a reasonable job this season, but I can't imagine he is our long term solution.

I would like to have seen that money go towards trying to keep Kingston or Lowrie before Robson.

 

[mickdo]

I am personally surprised by this. He has done a reasonable job this season, but I can't imagine he is our long term solution.

Hence a one year deal

 

[diab0lik]

i think he'd b the cheapest out of the three (him, kinga and todd) to re-sign i doubt we had anything near wat the other 2 waanted

 

[Hurriflatch]

I am personally surprised by this. He has done a reasonable job this season, but I can't imagine he is our long term solution.

I would like to have seen that money go towards trying to keep Kingston or Lowrie before Robson.

So Kingston is definatly off contract?

as for Lowrie it's kinda funny seeing the turnaround he has had with people on these boards a year or maybe even 6 months ago people couldn't wait for him to leave now look

 

[Gronk]

I am personally surprised by this. He has done a reasonable job this season, but I can't imagine he is our long term solution.

I would like to have seen that money go towards trying to keep Kingston or Lowrie before Robson.

Kinga is not the reason why we have done so well over the past few months. Tood has been rock solid but Robbo gets the nod for playing an almost mistake free link man game. Without him we would not have achieved what we have so far IMHO. How good is it to have a 7 who is not a speed hump ?

 

[Parra Steve]

That's another thing about Robson, i can't recall him throwing too many forward passes or knocking the ball on.

 

[oldmancraigy]

I think you guys are being a little bit too harsh on him.

He definitely looks to take on the line - not every play, but every now and then he'll throw a dummy and back himself.

In terms of putting a player through a gap - he has 5 linebreak assists - which isn't anything to write home about - however it certainly shows that he's put players in gaps. You just have to watch the 37-0 loss to St Geo/Illa - he puts Inu into a gap with a nice long flat pass (Burt drops the ball over the line).

Again - not the greatest in that area, but not the worst either.

I think Robson is a guy who does nothing really badly, but nothing particularly well EXCEPT for tackling. He's a sound defender.

The thing is that we do NOT want Robson with the ball in hand every play. More of Hayne, Mortimer and Mateo in the attacking 20 please - and if that's the case, then you need a halfback who can exist without the ball and who will bring something else to the team. Robson organises us well, and tackles his heart out. Plus gives a 3rd or 4th option in attack.

I'd much rather someone else at halfback - but I'm just not sure who that would be?

If he signs up again for 50k, then fantastic! He can tackle his heart out at Wenty and be our insurance policy in case of injury.

 

[Casper The Ghost]

I am personally surprised by this. He has done a reasonable job this season, but I can't imagine he is our long term solution.

I would like to have seen that money go towards trying to keep Kingston or Lowrie before Robson.

As mentioned in earlier postings "Without Robson" the Eels will not win the GF. Its as simple as that!!!!!!! He is so valuable to the team in so many ways that his utility value in the 7 roll seems to pass over the heads of so many posters in this forum. Fortunately DA knows JR value and is almost/probably the 1st picked player in his brain each week. The present team dynamics are built around a few essential players, one of them being Robbo.

Booooooooooo Casper

 

[ParraAds]

The difference between he and Finch is that he isn't taking up $300k + of our salary cap, but is doing essentially the same job.

I like him.