‘He was shattered’: Madge breaks silence on Roberts’ balcony blunder

Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire has told reporters that James Roberts was “shattered” to have broken the NRL’s Covid-19 protocols but says the 28-year-old will remain in the frame for first grade selection.

The NRL handed Roberts a $7500 fine and a one-game suspension on Wednesday for breaching the league’s health directives by going onto the balcony of his Gold Coast hotel room while in quarantine.

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Roberts was unable to travel with the Tigers to the NRL’s South-East Queensland bubble earlier this month after he was classified as a close contact of a Covid-19 case.

He had been completing mandatory hotel quarantine when he contravened the league’s directives.

Roberts investigated for Covid breach | 02:22

Maguire said on Thursday he had spoken to Roberts, who apologised for his breach.

“He was shattered, shattered to think this was a topic,” Maguire told reporters.

“He’s really disappointed that this happened and understands he’s just got to work through it now.”

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Roberts has battled with anxiety and depression during his NRL career but Maguire says the former Origin star is “working hard in the background” to become a mainstay of the Tigers’ best 17.

“He’s done a lot of work in the mental space this year to make sure he’s right to go,” Maguire said.

“Mentally (being locked down) is a challenge but Jimmy is going along well now and he’s making sure he’s physically right for when he does come out in the world again so he’s ready to play. He’s doing a lot of training inside the hotel.”

Roberts joined the Tigers from the Rabbitohs this season. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

The premiership-winning coach was coy when asked about Roberts’ return date but has not put a line through selecting him again this season.

“I think he’ll be pretty good. Until we get him on the ground it’ll be hard to know. We’ll have to wait and see until he starts to run,” Maguire said.

The NRL has given Roberts five days to respond to his sanction. He will serve his one-game suspension once he completes his quarantine period.

Maguire shot down reports that the Tigers had their eyes on another of the game’s star centres in Curtis Scott.

Scott hasn’t played for the Raiders in two months and has been linked with a loan deal at the Tigers.

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“At the present moment, we’re not going down that path (signing Scott to a loan contract),” Maguire said.

Given Scott is contracted with Canberra until the end of 2023, Maguire said the club was not in a position to make a play for him in the near future either.

“He’s contracted with the Raiders. I’m not quite sure where the Raiders sit with him,” he said.

“They’ve got him now, I don’t understand why they’re not utilising him at this present moment, but they’ve also got him signed on for next year, so where that goes it’s up to the Raiders.”

Scott has fallen out of favour at the Raiders. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

The Tigers are still in the hunt for their first finals berth since 2011 but can ill afford to drop any more games.

With six rounds to play, the Tigers sit two wins out of the top eight but enjoy a softer run home than most other sides in the NRL’s mid-ladder logjam.

The Tigers on Friday night will become the first side to face the Warriors since the departure of club captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, who returned to New Zealand this week in order to prepare for his rugby union career.

While Maguire hailed Tuivasa-Sheck as an “incredible” player, he said the Tigers were not concerned by how the Warriors would alter their tactics to accommodate for his absence.

Instead, the Tigers are focusing on their own game after going toe-to-toe with premiership heavyweights the Sea Eagles last week before falling away in the shadow of halftime.

“We’re really focused on the areas of our game,” Maguire said.

“We know that we need to be better in certain areas and the boys have been hard at it, being in lockdown, to improve that.

“We’re still extremely alive in being able to push our way to the finals. This is the next game for us to go out and get the points, so how we play right now is the most important part.”

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