SBW signing talk didn't distract us: Robinson

Trent Robinson might have been ruing the decision to give his players five days off last week, admitting there was plenty of clunky play in his Roosters' 18-10 victory over a gritty Warriors side.

After the physical toll from the 24-20 loss to the Raiders at the SCG, Robinson decided to freshen up his players given that he had a nine-day turnaround before travelling to Gosford's Central Coast Stadium.

The Roosters were kept scoreless for 20 minutes as the two sides went at each other's try-lines.

"We looked like a team that had had five days off and wanted to work on its defence," Robinson said.

He denied the Roosters' plans to bring back Sonny Bill Williams from the UK had been any form of a distraction.

"We've barely even mentioned it. We've spent 30 seconds on it to tell the boys what we're thinking," he said.

"It causes a lot of interest … he's a good person and a really good footy player and then on the world stage he's really well known, which is great for our game."

But what Robinson saw against the Warriors was his side working hard to get themselves out of a rut.

"I felt like we (players) were a bit out of touch with each other and we had to keep fighting, keep working," he said.

None fitted that bill better than senior team members James Tedesco, Luke Keary and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.

"I thought 'Teddy' had a great game," Robinson said.

"For a guy as talented as him, but a guy who has to work so hard. And it's not coming off but he keeps holding the ball, keeps running the ball, keeps fighting, and then eventually plays the ball for Joey Manu's try.

"The Warriors didn't allow Teddy any space. It wasn't quite coming off but he just kept at it.

"Jared was the same. Jared got better the longer the second half went.

"So it was a really hard game and it wasn't going our way and we weren't clicking. But we kept working hard and that's why we got an 18-10 victory."