James Roberts (rugby league) facts for kids

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James Roberts

Personal information
Full name	James Nathanial Roberts
Born	(1993-03-03) 3 March 1993 (age 32) Kempsey, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
Height	183 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	90 kg (14 st 2 lb)
Position	Centre, Wing
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 2011 South Sydney 10 5 0 0 20 2013 Penrith Panthers 6 6 0 0 24 2014–15 Gold Coast Titans 36 21 1 0 86 2016–19 Brisbane Broncos 81 41 0 0 164 2019–20 South Sydney 18 2 0 0 8 2021–22 Wests Tigers 17 3 0 0 12 Total 168 78 1 0 314 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 2015 City Origin 1 0 0 0 0 2016–19 Indigenous All Stars 3 1 0 0 4 2018 New South Wales 3 0 0 0 0
Relatives	Amos Roberts (uncle) Tyrone Roberts (cousin) Tyronne Roberts-Davis (cousin) Albert Kelly (cousin) Anthony Mundine (cousin) Greg Inglis (cousin)

James Roberts (born 3 March 1993) is an Australian former professional rugby league player. He played as a centre or winger. His last team was the Wests Tigers in the National Rugby League (NRL).

Roberts also played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Penrith Panthers, Gold Coast Titans, and Brisbane Broncos. He represented the Indigenous All Stars, City Origin, and New South Wales in the 2018 State of Origin series.

About James Roberts

James Roberts was born in Kempsey, New South Wales, Australia. He is from the Indigenous Australian Bundjalung people. People often call him "Jimmy the Jet" because of his speed.

James Roberts has many family members who also play rugby league. His uncle is former player Amos Roberts. His cousins include Tyrone Roberts, Tyrone Roberts-Davis, Albert Kelly, Anthony Mundine, and Greg Inglis.

Starting His Rugby Journey

James Roberts began playing junior rugby league for the Ballina Seagulls. Later, he signed with the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

He played in the Holden Cup, which is a competition for players under 20. He played from 2010 to 2013 for both the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Penrith Panthers. During this time, he scored 35 tries.

On 3 October 2010, Roberts played in the 2010 NYC Grand Final for the South Sydney Rabbitohs. He scored a try in the match against the New Zealand Warriors.

Professional Playing Career

2011: NRL Debut

In 2011, James Roberts made his first appearance in the NRL. He played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. In his next game, he scored his first NRL try against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. He finished the season with 10 matches and 5 tries. He was also named in the 2011 NYC Team of the Year.

2012: Moving to Penrith

Roberts did not play any NRL games in 2012. He played for Souths' feeder club, the North Sydney Bears. In August, he signed a two-year contract with the Penrith Panthers.

2013: Success with Penrith

In 2013, Roberts made his debut for the Penrith Panthers. He scored his first try for Penrith against the St. George Illawarra Dragons. Later, he scored three tries in one game against the Gold Coast Titans.

On 6 October, Roberts played in the 2013 Holden Cup Grand Final. He scored two tries, helping his team win. He also won the Jack Gibson Medal for being the best player in the match. He played six matches and scored six tries for Penrith in the 2013 NRL season.

2014: Joining the Titans

In March 2014, Roberts left the Panthers. He then signed with the Gold Coast Titans for the 2014 NRL season. He made his debut for the Titans in June, scoring a try against the Melbourne Storm. He finished his first season with the Titans having scored 5 tries in 12 matches.

2015: Top Centre Recognition

Roberts was part of the Titans squad for the 2015 NRL Auckland Nines. In May, he played for New South Wales City against New South Wales Country.

James Roberts playing in the 2015 City vs Country Origin match.

At the 2015 Dally M Awards, James Roberts was named the Centre of the Year. He was the Titans' top try-scorer for the season, with 16 tries in 24 matches. In December, he signed a contract with the Brisbane Broncos.

2016: Playing for Brisbane

Roberts was selected for the emerging New South Wales Blues squad. In February, he played for the Indigenous All Stars. In March, he made his debut for the Brisbane Broncos against the Parramatta Eels. He scored his first try for the Broncos against the North Queensland Cowboys.

Roberts played 25 matches and scored 9 tries in 2016.

2017: A Strong Season

In 2017, Roberts was part of the Broncos 2017 NRL Auckland Nines squad. In April, he scored three tries in one game against his former club, the Titans. In July, he extended his contract with the Broncos until the end of the 2021 season.

In August, Roberts played his 100th NRL career match against the North Queensland Cowboys. He scored a try in this milestone game. He finished the 2017 NRL season as the Broncos' highest try-scorer, with 18 tries in 26 matches.

2018: State of Origin Debut

In 2018, James Roberts was selected for the New South Wales team for the 2018 State of Origin series. On 6 June 2018, he made his State of Origin debut in Game 1, where NSW won against Queensland. Roberts played in all three matches as a centre, helping the Blues win the series. He played 22 matches and scored 9 tries for the Broncos in the 2018 NRL season.

2019: Return to South Sydney

On 15 February 2019, Roberts played for the Indigenous All Stars against the New Zealand Maori All Stars.

In May 2019, Roberts left the Brisbane Broncos and signed with the South Sydney Rabbitohs. This meant he was reunited with coach Wayne Bennett. On 7 June 2019, Roberts played for South Sydney against the Newcastle Knights, scoring a try.

He played in the qualifying final against the Sydney Roosters. However, he missed Souths' elimination final loss against the Canberra Raiders due to a thumb injury.

2020: Injury and New Team

In 2020, Roberts suffered a pectoral injury while playing for South Sydney. This injury kept him out of the game for several weeks. In November, Roberts signed a two-year deal with the Wests Tigers.

2021: Playing for Wests Tigers

James Roberts playing for the Western Suburbs Magpies in 2022.

In March 2021, Roberts made his debut for Wests Tigers against Canberra. In May, he scored two tries in a victory over St. George Illawarra.

Roberts played a total of 11 games for the Wests Tigers in the 2021 NRL season. The team finished 13th and did not make the finals.

2022: Final Season

In March 2022, Roberts was seen playing poker machines with a teammate before a match. No disciplinary action was taken by the NRL or the club, as no rules were broken.