'Didn't work out': Roosters coach Trent Robinson explains halves switch as Sandon Smith recalled

Sandon Smith will be given the opportunity to stake his claim for the No.6 jumper at the Sydney Roosters this week, with coach Trent Robinson explaining the decision to bring the young playmaker back into the side on Thursday night.

Despite a wrist injury to Hugo Savala, the 22-year-old was dropped last week in favour of Chad Townsend, who stepped into the role against Cronulla.

The move from Robinson didn't pay off, with the experienced Townsend producing a poor display against his former side at Shark Park.

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The 34-year-old has since been dropped back to reserve grade, allowing Smith the chance to impress against competition heavyweights Melbourne.

Speaking to media ahead of the crucial fixture, Robinson was quizzed about the latest change in the halves and why he believes Smith is the right man to partner Sam Walker - at least in the short-term, while Savala is unavailable for another week.

"It didn't work out how we wanted last week, but I've also been really clear about what I'd like from him [Smith] and his improvement," the coach said.

"I pulled him out of the reserve grade game last week, he's had a really good week of training and [we are] really clear about how we want him to play as well.

"It wasn't what we wanted last weekend, but there's two separate things there. We weren't happy with the way we played, but Sandon wasn't there for a reason.

"We've always believed in him as a player and I feel like I've shown that. I know he can get better and I have belief in him that he can do that tomorrow night. I want him to attack the game and go and play, attack the line and take his opportunities.

"He's back playing, he's been with us for a long time, we've put him for big games in the past … we want him to go after it."

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Smith's future at Bondi has been called into question in recent months, with the club expected to bring Daly Cherry-Evans into the fold for the 2026 season.

At this stage, Smith remains contracted for next year, but could find himself forced into a bench role or even back in NSW Cup should things pan out the way most expect.

Recent defeats at the hands of the Sharks and Wests Tigers has placed the Tricolours in a precarious position, with a tricky run home making a top-eight finish difficult.

However, according to Robinson, there is no sense of "desperation" at the glamour club.

"I don't think that's the word," he said.

"We've been pretty good at playing our footy this year - we missed the mark last weekend and we want to nail it tomorrow night.

"You can't nail games into the future other than the ones you're in, so we want to play much better … pretty focused on that."

Robinson also confirmed that star forward Victor Radley could miss up to a month with a shoulder injury suffered against Cronulla.

Siua Wong will return from a knee injury in the No.13 jersey to take on the Storm.