Brandon Smith admits he has been “put on notice” by the Roosters for missing a team meeting that led to a formal breach notice and scrutiny around his future at the club.
Smith returned to training on Monday ahead of Saturday’s clash with Parramatta after missing what veteran teammate Luke Keary described as a “pretty black and white” scheduling directive.
Sources with knowledge of the situation talking under the condition of anonymity in order to speak freely have indicated some players and staff at the Roosters have grown frustrated with Smith and have questioned his future at the club.
The Kiwi international, who recently took up an option worth about $850,000 for next season, explained the circumstances around the missed meeting following a last-start loss to the Cowboys and that he began fearing the worst.
“It put me on notice that it is not good enough obviously,” Smith told The Bye Round Podcast with James Graham.
“So I was the first one into training (Monday) morning. I feel like I let people down and I don’t like letting people down.
“It has definitely made me want to chill out a bit and focus on what is really important. It’s something I needed I guess.
“A lot of rumours go up and about because I got a breach and I was starting to think I was going to get sacked, myself.
“It was a pretty epic couple of days. Thankfully I went in today (Monday) and it was all good. The boys were funny, making fun of me.”
“Trent was disappointed because it’s quite a rookie mistake. But not much really came of it.”
Smith missed a full-team mid-season review the day after a disappointing round 13 loss to North Queensland because he was out to breakfast with his partner and did not have his phone.
His breach notice serves as a formal warning and does not require him to front the Roosters board nor answer to officials, with the club hauling him in last Monday to deliver the notice.
“I only saw one guy – it wasn’t Robbo,” Smith said.
“It was more of a telling off. I was pretty sad at the time. I was pretty sad about the game (against North Queensland) to be honest.
“The talk was about the breach and then I was pretty sad so I just chilled at home. I stayed off social media.
“I went pretty dark for a bit, didn’t go on my phone, just dealt with it internally. You can cop sprays but when you get it in an email form, it’s a lot harsher.
“I’m trying to shift my energy away from it because it was consuming the whole week of the bye. It’s a long time to be sad.”
Robinson will announce an extended Roosters squad to take on the Eels on Tuesday afternoon with utility Connor Watson expected to return from the throat injury that ruled him out of Origin contention.
Smith and Watson had alternated between starting dummy-half duties before the latter’s untimely injury, while Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is also set to play Parramatta after overcoming a back complaint.
Outside back Junior Pauga is in line to replace the suspended Joseph Suaali’i after announcing a two-year extension until the end of 2027 on Tuesday.
