Fitzy won't raid Roosters as latest graduate from Robbo's finishing school

Trent Robinson holds little concern about Craig Fitzgibbon raiding his roster as he becomes the latest assistant to roll off the Roosters' production line into an NRL coaching gig.

Fitzgibbon will take charge of Cronulla in 2022 with the Roosters' blessing and an early contract release to be granted based on more than 20 years of service as a premiership-winning player and coach.

The 43-year-old former international's first Sharks task is sorting through 14 off-contract players that amount to almost half the club's roster, who take up more than that in salary cap space.

With top earners Shaun Johnson, Josh Dugan, Matt Moylan and Aaron Woods taking up around $3 million of their salary cap and an early release for Andrew Fifita to join Wakefield being explored, Fitzgibbon is set to be one of the more active coaches in the 2022 player market.

Robinson has few concerns about a scenario at his club like Canterbury pursuing Penrith players Charlie Staines and Spencer Leniu before landing Matt Burton, Jack Hetherington after signing former Panthers assistant Trent Barrett late last year.

"There's not that concern. There's a code between coaches around how all that works and understanding the loyalties where it lies as well," Robinson said, adding that Fitzgibbon would juggle his Roosters duties with Sharks preparations.

"It's a tough one to even question Fitz on that.

"He will be right juggling it, but that's also part of the role. Being able to deliver here consistently and not change that and then also prepare some things he'll need to for next year.

"Not to do with the way they'll play or anything like that but there's obviously a format of staff and players that he'll need for the future. That's understandable."

Cronulla's handling of Fitzgibbon's negotiations while John Morris was kept in limbo has been roundly criticised, but Robinson said the public fallout "won't blemish Craig's start there".

Fitzgibbon has been the driving force behind the Roosters' indomitable defence over the past decade, to the point he jumps into wrestling sessions against players with his own Brazilian jiu-jitsu background.

Robinson paid tribute to Fitzgibbon's everyman appeal crafted through 228 NRL games in the Roosters engine room after cutting his teeth with 35 matches with the Steelers and St George Illawarra.

"He's ready. He's been ready for a couple of years but he's also been loyal for that reason," Robinson said.

"His character is just unblemished in our game. They've got a real leader there and he'll be ready to go.

"He's got the characteristics and traits that you want to mimic as a young player.

"And then he's also got a balance there. He's got an understanding of what a player goes through but can understand all different levels of players.

"His character is his strength, but then he's layered on all the footy knowledge and all the technical and tactical needs as well."

Fitzgibbon is the latest in an emerging line of Robinson's assistants to graduate to NRL coaching gigs elsewhere.

While Fitzgibbon knocked back approaches from the Knights, Warriors and Dragons in recent years, his rise to the Cronulla role follows the same path taken by Adam O'Brien, Justin Holbrook and Paul Green.

The Roosters' modern-day rivals and Friday night opponents Melbourne remain the NRL's ultimate coaching production line with the likes of Stephen Kearney, Brad Arthur, Michael Maguire, O'Brien and Kevin Walters learning their craft under Craig Bellamy.

But just as rival clubs ideally look to recruit players from successful clubs, so the same goes with their coaching staff.

"Anybody that's had consistency in a club, people are going to want to have a bit of that," Robinson said.

"People have delivered when they've been here, which has aided the success of the club.

"They deserve to have their future in how they see it. But it's a credit to the stability of the club that offer those coaches to the game."