Brandon Smith ‘underestimated’ joining the Roosters.
The cunning hooker starts off a challenging 2023 season.
The Tri-colours will look back on the 2023 season as one that fell far short of expectations despite reaching the NRL finals.
Brandon Smith, a valued recruit and former Melbourne Storm wrecking ball, claimed earlier in the year that he was at “the lowest point” of his career due to a spate of poor showings and a protracted recovery from a broken thumb.
Smith was chosen as the starting number 9 at the Roosters after being forced to play behind Harry Grant, who is probably the best hooker in the league at the Storm. He soon discovered himself in the all-too-familiar impact player situation.
The fact that the Roosters were stumbling around at the bottom of the league added to the pain.
“We didn’t have as many penalties and errors while I was at Melbourne. Most of the time, we were the front-runners, but now we’re in second place and need to learn to fight, complained Smith in May.
Brandon Smith was able to regain his form after his injury, and the Roosters unexpectedly made it to the finals by winning nearly all of their remaining games.
The Bondi club led Smith’s former team, the Storm, until a moment of brilliance by Cameron Munster and Will Warbrick saw Melbourne take the victory in the closing seconds, setting the stage for the ultimate headline.
Smith discussed the stark contrast between playing rugby league in an AFL-dominated city and being the top recruit at the team known as “the glamour club” in an interview with Sporting News.
“I really undervalued it. I had no idea that there were extensive write-ups about the Roosters in every newspaper, every week. The level of inspection was much higher. Smith narrated.
The Roosters were among the worst teams in both offensive and defense for the majority of the season.
Both your physical and emotional health are somewhat affected by it. People probably didn’t get as much rest as they should have since we needed to win, so we’re working far more than we need to.
Brandon Smith is well known for his candor, self-assurance, and natural talent on the field. Despite the fact that season 2023 was difficult in many respects, Smith is committed to developing further and contending for the championship in 2024.
The Roosters haven’t lost many notable players, but they can expect dangerous former Penrith Panther Spencer Leniu and former Newcastle Knight Dominic Young, the NRL’s second-highest try scorer, to make an immediate impact.
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