The Sydney Roosters have appointed Trent Robinson as their new NRL coach on a three-year deal.

Currently coach of Super League's Catalan Dragons, 35-year-old Robinson will join the Roosters for the 2013 season after Brian Smith was released by the club on Wednesday with one year left on his contract.

A former Roosters junior, Robinson played a handful of first-grade games with with Wests Tigers and Parramatta before joining the coaching ranks.

He was assistant coach at Newcastle in 2007-2009 before joining the Roosters for the 2010 season and Robinson is said to have been a key figure in the Roosters' charge to the grand final that year.

Roosters chairman Nick Politis welcomed the appointment on Friday.

"We are extremely pleased that Trent will be joining the Roosters after agreeing to terms for the next three years," Politis said in a statement.

"We believe that he is the ideal candidate to take the Roosters forward.

"Trent was a key contributor to the Roosters success in 2010 and while he is still a relatively young coach, he already has pedigree and experience gained over his time as an assistant coach in the NRL and head coach in the Super League."

Robinson will join the Roosters once his commitments to Catalans are finished.