Why Tigers can get best out of Rob

Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire is confident he can get the best out of NRL speedster James Roberts ahead of his move to Concord for the 2021 season.

Roberts joined the club on a two-year deal that will see him remain a Tiger until at least the end of the 2022, dependent on options in the club's favour.

The move was somewhat of an NRL lifeline for the 27-year-old who was released by the Rabbitohs after battling through a spate of injuries and off-field issues, a little over a year after he was released by the Broncos under similar circumstances.

Having previously worked with Roberts in his first stint at South Sydney as a rising star, Maguire was confident he could coax the best out of the speedster while safeguarding his mental health.

"He should be with us in the next two weeks, but he is looking really healthy and really positive and he has great people around him," said Maguire.

"I had a lot to do with Jimmy as a young boy coming through Rabbitohs, so I've got a long-standing connection with him over the years. The headspace he's in at the moment is the best I've seen him in.

"I'm looking forward to him joining us and helping him on and off the field. He's very keen to get himself playing the way he can because there's a lot of years left in him.

"We're building a strong indigenous program through all of the cultures at the club, to have those sorts of people around him is a positive for us.

"To create that type of environment, we're looking forward to him getting back to his best. That's the goal for all players: create that environment where they enjoy coming to work and they're keen to do it for each other through their mateship.

"That's what footy teams is all about and that is what we are pushing for at Wests Tigers."

That's a sentiment that was echoed by Roberts who expressed his eagerness to reunite with Maguire.

"I'm very excited to be a part of a quality club which is obviously on the rise," Roberts said.

"The opportunity to reunite with Michael Maguire is too good to pass up and I'm looking forward to working closely with him again.

"I'm also really impressed with the work Wests Tigers are doing in creating pathways for Aboriginal people and it's something I'm really passionate about."