It was all about the footy for Trent Robinson this week. Topics at his regular pre-match press stand-up included the Roosters’ drive to beat South Sydney and make the eight, and ensuring his team “nail the emotion around it, then also nail the execution of our play”.

He said Brandon Smith - the club’s former marquee recruit whose drug-supply allegations have entangled one of his own players - was only a factor insofar as his on-field attributes. And he was expansive and articulate about the development of his own players and of “finding our soul this year”.

There was chat about the “hate and anger” and sometimes neighbourly “banter” of this particularly fierce NRL rivalry, and at one point, he even encouraged the media before him “to build it up and do what you do”.

In all, the 12 minutes of situation normal rendered last Thursday’s performance all the more compelling.

Exactly one week ago, Robinson fronted the fourth estate like a porcupine who’d just spotted a predator. Quills up, poised to pierce the skin of any journalist posing a threatening question. A couple even met their prickly fate before they could finish their sentence, like the one who sought to confirm Victor Radley had the club’s 100 per cent support (“definitely”), and was stared down and twice cut off while attempting to ascertain what it would take for that stance to change.

Radley was named in a Queensland police summons relating to Smith’s scheduled September 18 appearance at Southport Magistrates Court, where Smith will be charged on one count of disclosing “inside knowledge” for illegal betting and one count of supplying dangerous drugs.

Trent Robinson has a history of defending his players to the hilt.Credit: Getty

“Well, that’s speculation about something we have no information about,” Robinson had said. “You’re playing with people’s lives, this isn’t a game.”

It was in line with his other responses, which featured variations of “there’s nothing in front of us”, “there’s been nothing put to us”, “there are no questions [to ask] at the moment”, “rumours get around”, “people’s integrity at stake”.

We learned that Radley was “pretty hurt”. What we did never learn was the answer to that question regarding what it would take for the club’s stance on Radley to change.

This is the part where some cite Nick Politis’ zero-tolerance-on-drugs declaration. It is also the part where others remind those quoting the Roosters chairman that there is no suggestion of wrongdoing by Radley or any other Roosters player, and that little more can be known until September 18, when Smith is due to appear at Southport Magistrates Court.

Roosters players during the golf trip on the Sunshine Coast that’s........

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