'Different characters' but Politis and Robinson union in perfect harmony

On the night last October when the Roosters became the first back-to-back premiership winners for 26 years, Nick Politis was thinking about a night four months down the track.

It sums up beautifully the way Politis is constantly looking just over the horizon for the next challenge, despite all the glory surrounding him.

It's not a question of being never satisfied. It's a matter of never letting the wheels stop.

Roosters great Anthony Minichiello was interviewing Politis out in the middle of ANZ Stadium for the club's Roosters TV outlet.

"How do you feel Nick? Back to back?" Minichiello said before being cut off by the club's long-standing chairman.

"Back-to-back yes, but now for the World Club Championship in England, mate," Politis said, of the February 22 showdown between the NRL champions and Super League premiers St Helens, which was then more than four months away.

The Roosters beat Wigan in the WCC last year so in Politis's eyes his club's trophy-winning journey is not complete – not yet and maybe never will be.

While there is breath in his body Politis is a never-ending concoction of plans, ideas, strategies – some he may never implement but they are still key in his search for more success.

You can't help but think that by the strange phenomenon called "rugby league osmosis" some of Politis's molecules have seeped into head coach Trent Robinson.

Plotting a pathway to success is one of his trademarks, just like his club boss.

Make no mistake, Robinson and Politis are very different characters, even if they are both bilingual and can be a little bombastic at times.

Perhaps Politis speaks Greek under his breath, and Robinson does the same in French, when they are forced to agree to disagree on some matters.

Or maybe it's always a harmonious relationship regardless of the strong characters involved.

"He absolutely lives the Roosters," Robinson told NRL.com.

"He’s been incredible in guiding me – allowing me to do my thing but also offering a little guidance. He’s got a great, strategic mind. He’s a highly intelligent person.

"The thing I like about him is that he’s dynamic. Whatever age he is now [Politis is 78], Nick has never stood still. He’s a great example.

"And don’t forget your team mirrors the people in charge of you. And there’s no-one more in charge of our team than Nick.

"If you look at the success we’ve had, it’s also mirrored Nick. We’re not standing still and that’s one of Nick’s trademarks."

But Politis doesn't set game plans or put the personnel in place each week.

Robinson has failed only once to make the NRL finals in his seven years in charge. He has a perfect strike rate on grand final night – three wins from three games. The other three years the Roosters made the preliminary finals.

It's a pretty fair effort.

We’re not standing still and that’s one of Nick’s trademarks.

Trent Robinson

Robinson's contract rolls around for renewal at the end of 2022.

He's 42. Craig Bellamy will be 62 later this year and Wayne Bennett just turned 70 last month.

Does Robinson want to keep coaching in the NRL for another 20-odd years?

"I don’t know the answer because I don’t look too further ahead," he said. "So I have no idea what I’ll be doing – because I’ll get bored if I know what the future looks like.

"So I don’t dream about anything else but coaching the Roosters at the moment. If you ask me what five years down the track looks like, I can’t see it."

What does three years down the track look like?

"Well I don’t want to be anywhere else. There’s nowhere else I want to be. I love the place so I don’t dream about anything else but coaching – at the moment."