James Roberts (rugby league)

James Roberts (born 3 March 1993) is an Indigenous Australian former professional rugby league footballer who last played as a centre for the Wests Tigers in the National Rugby League (NRL).

James Roberts

Personal information
Full name	James Nathanial Roberts
Born	(1993-03-03) 3 March 1993 (age 30) Kempsey, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
Height	183 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	90 kg (14 st 2 lb)
Position	Centre, Wing
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 2011 South Sydney 10 5 0 0 20 2013 Penrith Panthers 6 6 0 0 24 2014–15 Gold Coast Titans 36 21 1 0 86 2016–19 Brisbane Broncos 81 41 0 0 164 2019–20 South Sydney 18 2 0 0 8 2021–22 Wests Tigers 17 3 0 0 12 Total 168 78 1 0 314 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 2015 City Origin 1 0 0 0 0 2016–19 Indigenous All Stars 3 1 0 0 4 2018 New South Wales 3 0 0 0 0
Source: ^[1]^[2]

Roberts had previously played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in two separate spells, as well as the Penrith Panthers, Gold Coast Titans and the Brisbane Broncos in the NRL. He has also played at representative level for the Indigenous All Stars, City Origin and in the 2018 State of Origin series for New South Wales.

Background

Roberts was born in Kempsey, New South Wales, Australia and is of Indigenous Australian descent - from Bundjalung people. He is nicknamed "Jimmy the Jet".^[3][4]

Roberts is the nephew of former player Amos Roberts, the cousin of Gold Coast Titans players Tyrone Roberts, Tyrone Roberts-Davis and Brisbane Broncos player Albert Kelly,^[5] Anthony Mundine^[6] and former South Sydney Rabbitohs player/captain Greg Inglis.

Early career

Roberts played junior rugby league for the Ballina Seagulls before signing with the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

He played in the Holden Cup from 2010 to 2013 with both South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Penrith Panthers, scoring 35 tries and kicking 17 goals in 32 games for 174 points in his U20s career.^[7][8]

On 3 October 2010, Roberts played on the wing in the 2010 NYC Grand Final for the South Sydney Rabbitohs against the New Zealand Warriors and scored a try in the 42-28 loss.^[9]

Playing career

2011

In Round 7 of the 2011 NRL season, Roberts made his NRL debut for the South Sydney Rabbitohs against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at fullback in the 36-24 loss at ANZ Stadium.^[10] In Round 8, his first NRL career try was in the Rabbitohs 31-12 win against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks at ANZ Stadium.^[11] Roberts finished the season with 10 matches and 5 tries, and was named on the wing in the 2011 NYC Team of the Year.^[12]

2012

Roberts did not make any NRL appearances during the 2012 season. However, he did play four games for Souths' feeder club side North Sydney Bears in the NSW Cup.^[13] On 25 July, Roberts was immediately released by the Rabbitohs after breaches of his playing contract.^[14] On 10 August, he signed a two-year contract with the Penrith Panthers commencing in 2013.^[15]

2013

In Round 11 of the 2013 NRL season, Roberts made his club debut for Penrith Panthers off the interchange bench in their 19-10 win against St. George Illawarra Dragons at Jubilee Oval.^[16] In Round 16 against the Dragons, he scored his first club try for Penrith in their 25-10 win at Penrith Stadium.^[17] In Round 17 against the Gold Coast Titans, Roberts scored a hat-trick of tries in a man of the match display in a 40-18 win at TIO Stadium in Darwin.^[18] On 6 October, Roberts also participated in the 2013 Holden Cup Grand Final against the New Zealand Warriors, contributing two tries to the 42-30 win. He subsequently won the Jack Gibson Medal, awarded to the Man of the Match.^[19] Roberts played six matches and scored six tries for Penrith in the 2013 NRL season.

2014

On 14 March, Roberts was released from the Panthers for off-field misbehaviour and later was "thrown a lifeline" when he was signed by the Gold Coast Titans for the 2014 NRL season on 31 March 2014.^[20] In Round 14, he made his club debut for the Titans against the Melbourne Storm at centre and scored a try in the 24-20 loss at Cbus Super Stadium.^[21] Roberts finished off his first season at the Titans with 5 tries 12 matches. On 30 October, he was investigated by the NRL after he was arrested for public nuisance in Surfers Paradise.^[22]

2015

Roberts was named in the Titans 2015 NRL Auckland Nines squad.^[23]

On 3 May, he played for New South Wales City against New South Wales Country at centre in the 34-22 loss.^[24][25]

 

Roberts in 2015 City vs Country Origin match

At the 2015 Dally M Awards, Roberts was named the Centre of the Year.^[26] On 5 June, it was announced that Roberts had re-signed with the Titans on a three-year contract,^[27] however it was later discovered that his manager had forged his signature onto the contract, making it null and void. This subsequently lead to Roberts requesting a release from the club.^[28] Roberts finished off the season as the Titans leading try-scorer with 16 tries in 24 matches.^[29] On 23 December, he signed a 2-year contract with the Brisbane Broncos starting from 2016.^[30][31]

2016

Roberts was named in the emerging New South Wales Blues squad.^[32] On 13 February, he played for the Indigenous All Stars against the World All Stars, playing at centre in the 12-8 loss at Suncorp Stadium.^[33] In Round 1 of the season, Roberts (who was celebrating his 23rd birthday) made his club debut for the Brisbane Broncos against the Parramatta Eels, playing at centre in the 17-4 win at Parramatta Stadium.^[34] In Round 4 against the North Queensland Cowboys in the Grand Final rematch, Roberts scored his first club try for the Brisbane Broncos in the 21-20 golden point extra time win at Suncorp Stadium.^[35]

On 17 August, Roberts was again in trouble over another drunken incident after he allegedly abused a female bartender at the Normanby Hotel. When he was asked to leave by security, he was reportedly acting aggressive towards them and they were forced to put him in a "sleep hold" to restrain him until he was unconscious. An ambulance was called but Roberts regained consciousness and allegedly went to another pub to continue drinking for the rest of the night.^[36][37] Roberts received a $20,000 fine from the NRL but escaped suspension, instead being ordered to undergo a wellbeing plan which included community service on his days off for his public nuisance charge.^[38] In the Week 1 Elimination Finals match against the Gold Coast Titans, Roberts was placed on report for kicking Ryan Simpkins when he got up from a tackle.^[39] Roberts was later found guilty of the contrary conduct charge and was suspended for the do-or-die Week 2 Semi Finals match against the North Queensland Cowboys which the Broncos lost 26-20 in golden point extra time, ending their season.^[40] Roberts finished the year with 9 tries in 25 matches. On 30 September, it was reported that Roberts was visiting Thailand with a close family friend and had checked himself into a rehabilitation facility in order to help him overcome multifaceted personal issues, including a battle with alcohol. His manager and uncle stated 'I'm grateful for the support the Broncos have given James, and that everyone at the club cares about him as a person'.^[41]

2017

In January 2017, Roberts allegedly pulled a woman's hair at a Gold Coast Night club and was issued with a drunk diversion notice by police. However, the case was later dismissed.^[42] In February, Roberts was selected in the Broncos 2017 NRL Auckland Nines squad.^[43] In Round 7, Roberts scored a hat trick of tries for Brisbane in their 24 - 22 win against his former club, the Titans, at Suncorp Stadium.^[44] On 27 July 2017, Roberts extended his contract with the Broncos to the end of the 2021 season.^[45] In Round 26 against the North Queensland Cowboys, Roberts played his 100th NRL career match, scoring a try in the 20-10 victory at 1300SMILES Stadium.^[46] Roberts finished the 2017 NRL season as the Broncos highest tryscorer with 18 tries in 26 matches.

2018

During the off-season, Roberts reportedly spent time in a Thailand rehabilitation facility to deal with alcohol and substance abuse. Apparently, he was at the same facility in 2016.^[47] After showing good form in the early rounds, Roberts was selected in the New South Wales team for the 2018 State of Origin series.^[48] On 6 June 2018, Roberts made his State of Origin debut in Game 1, in which NSW defeated Queensland 22-12 at Melbourne Cricket Ground.^[49] Roberts played in all three matches at centre in the Blues 2-1 shield winning series.^[50][51] Roberts finished the 2018 NRL season having played 22 matches and scoring 9 tries for the Broncos.

2019

On 15 February 2019, Roberts represented the Indigenous All Stars as a centre in their 34 - 14 win against the New Zealand Maori All Stars team at AAMI Park.^[52]

On 29 May 2019, the Brisbane Broncos announced that Roberts had been granted an immediate release on compassionate grounds. Roberts then signed a contract with the South Sydney Rabbitohs until the end of the 2021 season. This brought him back under the coaching instruction of Wayne Bennett.^[53] Bennett had been head coach of the Broncos throughout Roberts’ three full seasons at that club prior to switching to South Sydney in 2019.

On 7 June 2019, Roberts played for South Sydney against the Newcastle Knights in round 13 at ANZ Stadium. South Sydney lost 20-12, however Roberts scored a try in the 8th minute.

In round 23, Souths defeated Brisbane Broncos by 22 - 20. In the 13th minute, Roberts was put on report and sinbinned for elbowing the head of former teammate Corey Oates. He was suspended for two games, then returned to play in the qualifying final against arch rival the Sydney Roosters.

On 27 September 2019, Roberts missed out on playing in Souths' elimination final loss against Canberra Raiders due to a dislocated thumb suffered the weekend previous when Souths defeated Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles.^[54]

2020

In round 10 of the 2020 NRL season, Roberts suffered a right pectoral injury in South Sydney's defeat against Newcastle. He was later ruled out for twelve weeks with the injury.^[55] On 19 November, Roberts signed a two year deal with the Wests Tigers.^[56]

 

Roberts playing for the Western Suburbs Magpies in 2022

2021

In round 1 of the 2021 NRL season, he made his debut for Wests Tigers in a 30-12 loss against Canberra.^[57]

In round 12, Roberts scored two tries in a 34-18 victory over St. George Illawarra.^[58]

On 28 July, Roberts was fined $7500 and banned for one match after failing to comply with a Queensland Public Health directive. Roberts breached the biosecurity restrictions in place for players in South-East Queensland by going onto the balcony of his hotel room on the Gold Coast.^[59] Roberts played a total of 11 games for the Wests Tigers in the 2021 NRL season as the club finished 13th and missed the finals.^[60]

2022

In March, a Newcastle fan reportedly spotted Roberts and a Wests Tigers team-mate playing poker machines in a Newcastle hotel at 10pm on the eve of an unsuccessful Tigers match against Newcastle. The drama was described as "blown out of proportion".^[61] No NRL or club disciplinary action was taken as no integrity rules were breached.^[62][63]

Personal life

On 11 October 2023, Roberts was captured on video punching the door of a police van after being led away from a Sydney courthouse. Roberts attended Downing Centre Local Court where he was due to face a mention for an apprehended domestic violence order. It was alleged that Roberts had an outburst in court before he was led out of the building by police. Roberts then punched the door of the police van and screamed "see what you do to me?".^[64]

References

1. "Players".
2. "James Roberts - Career Stats & Summary". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
3. Michael Chammas. . Theage.com.au. Archived from the original on 3 February 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
4. Joe McDonough (2 November 2018). "Hypothetical 100m dash: Who are the fastest first-graders of all time?". Fox League. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
5. Ian McCullough (16 September 2013). "Roberts not feeling burden of following in Joey's footsteps". Smh.com.au. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
6. Ben Glover (20 November 2015). "James Roberts contract saga: five burning questions after the Gold Coast Titans deal-breaker". FOX SPORTS. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
7. "18thman - U20s Player Records". 18thman.com. 27 December 2013.
8. . 2 April 2015. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015.
9. "Young Warriors down Souths". ABC News. 3 October 2010.
10. Adrian Proszenko (23 April 2011). "NRL | Canterbury Bulldogs v South Sydney Rabbitohs | Photos". Smh.com.au. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
11. "South Sydney Score 31 Unanswered Points to Defeat Dismal Sharks". Foxsports.com.au. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
12. "Toyota Cup Team of the Year". NRL.com. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
13. "South Sydney Rabbitohs North Sydney Bears Affiliated Players". www.ssralmanac.com.
14. "Promising Young South Sydney Fullback James Roberts Sacked Along With Teammate Adrian Haangana". Foxsports.com.au. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
15. "Panthers Sign James Roberts who was Sacked by South Sydney Last Month". Dailytelegraph.com.au. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
16. "Panthers Beat Dragons 19-0". Dailytelegraph.com.au. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
17. "Panthers Beat Dragons 25-10 in NRL Round 16". Dailytelegraph.com.au. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
18. "Panthers Beat Titans 40-18 in NRL Round 17". Dailytelegraph.com.au. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
19. Michael Carayannis (6 October 2013). "Penrith Panthers defeat NZ Warriors in Holden Cup". Smh.com.au. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
20. Adrian Proszenko (22 March 2014). "James Roberts thrown a lifeline by Gold Coast Titans". Smh.com.au. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
21. Roy Ward (16 June 2014). "Melbourne Storm digs deep to edge out Gold Coast Titans". Smh.com.au. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
22. "James Roberts Arrested Gold Coast Titans Star in Strife over Alcohol Related Drama". Dailytelegraph.com.au. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
23. . Rugby League Week. 20 January 2015. Archived from the original on 24 January 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
24. "Representative Round team lists". NRL.com. 28 April 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
25. "NSW Origin Coach Laurie Daley Praises Matt Moylan, Josh Jackson". Dailytelegraph.com.au. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
26. "Dally M 2015: Who won what?". NewsComAu. 28 September 2015.
27. "Titans James Roberts Has Signed a 1 million Contract Extension with the Club". Couriermail.com.au. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
28. "Roberts turns down Titans after forged signature saga". ABC News. abc.net.au. 7 December 2015. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
29. "Custom Match List". Rugby League Project. 23 October 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
30. "James Roberts signs with Broncos | NRL". Zero Tackle. 23 December 2015. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
31. "James Roberts is Set to Sign a Two Year Deal with the Broncos". Foxsports.com.au. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
32. "Daley names 2016 Emerging Blues". NRL.com. 13 January 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
33. Chris Garry (13 February 2016). "World All Stars defeat Indigenous All Stars 12-8 at Suncorp Stadium". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
34. "Home | Live Scores & Latest News". Fox Sports. 3 March 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
35. "Home | Live Scores & Latest News". Fox Sports. 25 March 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
36. "Broncos Roberts NRL Career in Jeopardy". Dailytelegraph.com.au. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
37. "NSW Origin hopeful James Roberts allegedly involved in drunken incident". Smh.com.au. 17 August 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
38. "Brisbane Broncos fine James Roberts $20,000 over drunken incident and clear him to play". Smh.com.au. 24 August 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
39. "James Roberts Facing a One Week Ban for His Kick on Titans Forward Ryan Simpkins". Dailytelegraph.com.au. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
40. "Home | Live Scores & Latest News". Fox Sports. 14 September 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
41. "Broncos Centre James Roberts Checks into Rehabilitation Centre in Thailand". Couriermail.com.au. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
42. "Couriermail.com.au - Subscribe to The Courier Mail for exclusive stories". www.couriermail.com.au.
43. "2017 Downer NRL Auckland Nines squads". National Rugby League. 3 February 2017.
44. "Couriermail.com.au - Subscribe to The Courier Mail for exclusive stories". www.couriermail.com.au.
45. "NRL 2017: Brisbane Broncos James Roberts re-signs, Wayne Bennett's retention spree". 26 July 2017.
46. "Cowboys v Broncos: Live NRL stream, Round 26 live score, result, updates, Supercoach scores". 31 August 2017.
47. "Broncos star James Roberts checks into rehab facility during 2018 NRL off-season break". 13 March 2018.
48. "Roberts celebrates baby daughter plus NSW call-up". National Rugby League. 27 May 2018.
49. "Dailytelegraph.com.au - Subscribe to The Daily Telegraph for exclusive stories". www.dailytelegraph.com.au.
50. "State of Origin 2018: QLD v NSW James Roberts set for monster Game II in Sydney". 21 June 2018.
51. "NSW Blues State of Origin III report card: Brad Fittler, James Maloney, James Tedesco". 11 July 2018.
52. "Subscribe to The Australian - Newspaper home delivery, website, iPad, iPhone & Android apps". www.theaustralian.com.au.
53. "Wayne Bennett says he will 'fix' James Roberts after centre signs with South Sydney". Fox Sports. 29 May 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
54. "Blow for Rabbitohs as Roberts ruled out with thumb injury". nrl.com. 28 September 2019. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
55. "James Roberts' season potentially over after Rabbitohs star suffers pectoral rupture". www.sportingnews.com.
56. "Jimmy jets west: Roberts joins Tigers until end of 2022". 19 November 2020.
57. "Cronulla Sharks win scrappy clash with Dragons; Canberra Raiders beat Wests Tigers with dominant second half". ABC News. 14 March 2021.
58. "Daine Laurie, James Roberts spark comprehensive Wests Tigers victory". wwos.nine.com.au.
59. "Roberts fined, banned one game for biosecurity protocol breach". www.nrl.com. 28 July 2021.
60. "Wests Tigers fans savage the club's new-look logo". www.news.com.au.
61. "EXCLUSIVE: Phil Gould says Wests Tigers pokies drama was blown out of proportion". wwos.nine.com.au.
62. "Tigers: Star duo broke no rules with late-night pokie session before ugly Knights hammering". www.foxsports.com.au. 22 March 2022.
63. "Maguire shrugs off Tigers' pokies trip". 7news.com.au. 24 March 2022.
64. "'See what you do to me?': Former NRL player arrested amid dramatic court outburst". www.foxsports.com.au.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to James Roberts.

• Wests Tigers profile
• South Sydney Rabbitohs profile
• Brisbane Broncos profile
• NRL profile