Recruit watch: Brandon Smith

The NRL market has been in full swing for 2023 with several stars switching clubs ahead of the new season.

NRL.com takes a look at the major transfers and how your club will benefit from a star arrival.

Brandon Smith (Roosters)

• Age: 26
• Position they’ll fill: Hooker
• Contracted until: 2025 (player option)

What Smith can bring

Through six seasons in the Telstra Premiership with the Storm, Smith has carved a reputation as one of the game's most dynamic runners out of dummy-half.

The Kiwi international is a clever opportunist, with an uncanny ability to spot a retreating marker or gap in the defensive line, and he has the quick feet, power and evasion to take full advantage of it. 

In recent years 'The Cheese' has also shown he can play as a middle forward, which opens up more options for coach Trent Robinson if he wants to play with a specialist dummy-half - like new signing Jake Turpin - off the bench for impact. 

The NRL is stacked with talented hookers right now, but not many of them can change a game like Brandon Smith. 

Why it’ll work

Smith is going to love playing behind this Roosters pack, which is loaded with rep stars and last year helped the side to average 1,645 metres per game, the competition's fifth best yardage haul across the regular season. 

The Tricolours also sat in the top four for tackle breaks last year, averaging 34.5 a game, meaning he should have plenty of opportunities to run at fractured defensive lines. 

Despite not playing predominantly at hooker over the past three years, Smith has averaged 3.4 dummy-half runs per game and you can expect that number to jump again in 2023.