Trent Robinson

Trent Robinson (born 15 March 1977 ) is an Australian professional rugby league coach who is the head coach of the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League (NRL) and a former professional rugby league footballer.

He has previously held coaching positions at Toulouse Olympique in the Elite One Championship and the Newcastle Knights in the NRL and was the head coach at the Catalans Dragons in the Super League. As a player he made appearances as a and  for the Wests Tigers and the Parramatta Eels in the NRL and Toulouse in the Elite One Championship.

Background
Robinson was born in Camden, a suburb located in Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He attended St Gregory’s College, Campbelltown where he excelled academically and played rugby league.

Playing career
A former student at St Gregory's College, Campbelltown, Robinson started his playing days in the Sydney Roosters pathways in the Jersey Flegg and President's Cup as an up-and-coming front rower.

In the top grade, Robinson played three games from the bench for the Wests Tigers between 2000 and 2001. He was the first player to ever make his first-grade debut with Wests Tigers without having previously played first-grade with another team. In 2002, he joined the Brian Smith-coached Parramatta Eels, playing in a solitary game.

He moved to Europe in 2005 where he played with Toulouse Olympique before he took over as Head Coach of the side at the age of just 28.

Toulouse Olympique
After a playing stint with Toulouse Olympique, Robinson, then aged just 28, succeeded Justin Morgan as coach in 2005.

His side became the first French team to reach the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup.

Newcastle Knights
He was an assistant coach with the Newcastle Knights for three seasons (2007-2009) before seeking a release to join Brian Smith at the Sydney Roosters.

Sydney Roosters (Assistant Coach)
Robinson joined the Roosters in 2010 as an NRL Assistant Coach. He oversaw the team’s defence and in an incredible turnaround, the Club finished the year as runners-up in the NRL Grand Final, after placing last in the competition in 2009.

Catalans Dragons
At the conclusion of the 2010 Super League season, the French-speaking Robinson took over from Kevin Walters as coach at Catalans Dragons. He held this position until the end of 2012.

In his first season with the Dragons, Robinson took the side from last to sixth and was named ‘Super League Coach of the Year’ with his side making two consecutive Preliminary Finals.

Sydney Roosters
Robinson is currently the longest-serving Head Coach in the Foundation Club’s 116-year history and has led his side to the Finals in all but one season (2016).

On 7 September 2012, it was announced that Robinson had been appointed as head coach of the Sydney Roosters on a three-year contract, commencing in 2013.

He led the Sydney Roosters to Premiership success in his maiden season as an NRL Head Coach. In a memorable year, he became only the second rookie NRL coach to claim a Minor Premiership and became the youngest-ever recipient of the Dally M Award for Coach of the Year.

He capped this historic season by leading the Roosters to the Club’s 13th Premiership, becoming only the sixth rookie coach Premiership winner.

At the end of the 2013 season, Robinson received the Rugby League International Federation’s Coach of the Year award. In early 2014, the Sydney Roosters were also crowned World Club Champions after defeating Super League Champions Wigan 36-14 in the annual World Club Challenge.

The Sydney Roosters also claimed successive Minor Premierships and Club Championships under Robinson's tenure and qualified for the Preliminary Final in 2014. In 2015, the Sydney Roosters became the first team to claim a third consecutive Minor Premiership in the modern era, with the side also qualifying for the Preliminary Final. While injuries and suspension impacted the Club’s 2016 campaign, the Sydney Roosters were crowned champions at the 2017 NRL Auckland Nines and rounded out their campaign with a preliminary finals appearance.

In 2018, Robinson’s Sydney Roosters claimed their 14th Premiership, in a grand final dubbed a “coaching masterclass”. In his sixth season at the helm of the Club, the Roosters also secured a record 20th Minor Premiership.

In 2019, Robinson led the Sydney Roosters to the Club’s 15th Premiership, and became the first coach to win back-to-back Premierships in a unified competition since 1992-93.

After claiming the Club’s 15th Premiership in 2019, the Sydney Roosters kicked off their 2020 campaign by being crowned World Club Champions for the second successive year. In the coronavirus-impacted 2020 season, Robinson was a member of the NRL’s Project Apollo working group which worked on ensuring the resumption of the competition after it was halted for two months as a consequence of the worldwide pandemic. Despite a season impacted by an unprecedented injury toll, early retirements and suspension, the Roosters completed the 2021 regular season in fifth position. The club’s campaign ended in the second week of finals, but Robinson was recognised for his outstanding coaching efforts throughout the season by being named a Dally M Coach of the Year finalist.

Robinson made history in 2022, when he became the first person to coach 250 first-grade games in Roosters’ history. He was again named a finalist for the Dally M Coach of the Year for his coaching resolve and leadership which saw his side go on an eight-match winning streak to finish the regular season in sixth place on the ladder and qualify for the Finals Series.

In the Roosters’ first full season at the new Sydney Football Stadium, 2023 saw Robinson’s Sydney Roosters go on a surge in the back end of the season to qualify for the Finals in seventh spot. With only a few rounds remaining it appeared the club would miss the finals, however they would go on a five-game winning run to secure their position in the Top 8. In the elimination final against Cronulla, the club pulled off a 13-12 upset victory. The following week, the Sydney Roosters went in as outsiders against Melbourne and with 10 minutes remaining lead the match 13-12 before Melbourne scored a try with two minutes remaining to knock the Sydney Roosters out of the finals race.

Coaching Honours
Team - Sydney Roosters
 * NRL Premiership: 2013, 2018, 2019
 * NRL Minor Premiership: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018
 * World Club Challenge: 2014, 2019, 2020
 * NRL Nines: 2017

Individual
 * Super League Coach of the Year: 2011
 * Dally M Coach of the Year: 2013
 * Rugby League International Federation Coach of the Year: 2013