Tevaga has ‘no issue’ with Warriors owner

Warriors forward Jazz Tevaga admits it was ‘‘upsetting’’ to see how the Stephen Kearney sacking was handled and to hear veteran team-mates were being released, but he has no problem with owner Mark Robinson being in camp with the NRL team in New South Wales.

Robinson raised eyebrows by confirming in a television interview last Thursday that experienced backs Blake Green and Gerard Beale would not be offered new contracts.

Green – captaining the Warriors in the absence of the suspended Roger Tuivasa-Sheck – responded by leading the beleaguered team to a much-needed 26-16 win over the Brisbane Broncos in Gosford last Saturday.

Green admitted after the game that he was ‘‘irritated’’ at Robinson’s comments and that, up until Saturday night, he had yet to have a conversation about it with the owner.

Tevaga is on the brink of a NRL return after ankle surgery and a calf strain, and has been watching from the sideline during Kearney’s sacking as head coach, and now Robinson’s announcement about releasing players.

The 24-year-old said ‘‘that thing with Mooks [Kearney]’’ was ‘‘really upsetting’’.

‘‘It’s really sad how things were handled there. But it is what it is . . . The boys know it’s a business.’’

Tevaga, who is ‘‘itching to play and help the boys’’, said in a media call yesterday that he was not aware of Robinson’s comments about Green and Beale’s release until ‘‘game day’’ against the Broncos.

‘‘I’m not going to lie, it’s not nice to read, but at the end of the day he does own the club.’’

Tevaga said it ‘‘was evident in the way [Green and Beale] played that they used it as motivation to put on a good performance’’.

Robinson is in camp with the Warriors on the NSW Central Coast for a month, and has yet to address the players about his comments, Tevaga said.

‘‘He did chat with me briefly, he said that things were taken the wrong way and he didn’t mean it that way. Plus Greeny and Bealey are off contract, and that’s why he said something along those lines.’’

But Tevaga did not think it would be awkward having Robinson around at close quarters, despite his comments.

‘‘He’s a good guy, when he wants something done he does it straight say, and he’s honest about it.’’

The players had ‘‘no dramas with him’’ being in camp, and would ‘‘see if he addresses us in the next couple of days’’.

Hooker Wayde Egan also hailed Green’s response to his imminent release, saying: ‘‘It definitely speaks highly of Blake. I’m not shocked that he goes out and puts on a performance like that.

‘‘I’m sure he can keep playing footy for another couple of years.’’

The Warriors’ victory was their first for three weeks, and Egan insisted ‘‘morale is very high within the playing group’’ as they approach their best chance to put together back-to-back wins in Friday’s game against the Gold Coast Titans.