Back in the Māori jersey for the first time since 2020 and back where his rugby league journey began, Brandon Smith is hoping All Stars week can be the catalyst for a season to remember at the Roosters.
Hailing from Waiheke Island, across the water from Auckland, Smith took up the opportunity when he was 14 to move to Townsville and attend Kirwan State High School.
Taking his ‘reluctant’ Māori teammates for a drive to check out his old homes and footy fields following training on Tuesday, the Roosters hooker said the city will always hold a 'special place in his heart'.
“I took the car this morning after we went to the gym and I kind of drove through all the places that I used to live at homestays and the boys were in the back and they didn't want a bar of me, they just wanted to go home and have a shower," Smith said.
“It's good to see some familiar faces and catch up with some old school teachers who probably didn’t like me much but it's good to have a laugh about it now.
“I lived here for nearly eight years. I went through a lot in Townsville, a lot of hard times but I still call it a very special place in my heart and I wouldn't take any of it back.”
Brandon Smith receives the Preston Campbell Medal
Having been involved in several off-field incidents, Smith struggled to work his way up through the Cowboys system but was handed a lifeline when Craig Bellamy offered him an opportunity in Melbourne in 2017.
Finding his feet under the tutelage of the great Cameron Smith, he made his Kiwi Test debut in 2018 and the following year got his All Stars shot in a Māori side coached by Stacey Jones.
That game in Melbourne resulted in a 34-14 loss but the combative rake returned in 2020 with a superb performance that earned him man of the match honours and the coveted Preston Campbell Medal.
After being denied the opportunity to travel to Townsville for the 2021 All Stars game due to Victoria’s COVID restrictions, Smith missed out a year later due to suspension and in 2023 with injury, so he is determined to make up for lost time this week.
“I’ve missed out due to lots different circumstances over the past few years, obviously COVID hit us Melbourne boys hard and that was really disappointing and a few niggles and pre-season things too,” he said.
“I think it’s my favourite camp to go on… all the cultural experiences and I’ve enjoyed getting back into the groove of learning about your own nationality and who you are.
“I can’t wait to go out and represent first and foremost my mother, since that's the Māori side of my heritage, and Nan and Pop who have passed away now.”
Match Highlights: Indigenous All Stars v Maori All Stars, 2020
Smith tasted premiership glory with the Storm at the end of the 2020 season and he hopes his return to the Māori colours can be the launching pad to glory with the Roosters.
“The last time I played was one of the best years I had going into the footy season and I know that’s what I need this year,” he said.
“It was tough when I had a few niggles in pre-season last year, so I’m very stoked I can be a part of this time.
“This is a celebration more than it is a battle but at the end of the day we do have a job to do as well and I can’t wait to go out there and make my family proud.”
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