- Darren Smith (rugby league)
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Darren Smith Personal information Born 8 December 1968
Brisbane, AustraliaPlaying information Height 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) Weight 102 kg (16 st 1 lb) Position Centre, Lock, Second-row Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1990–94 Canterbury-Bankstown 100 36 1 0 146 1995–98 Brisbane Broncos 87 56 0 0 224 1999–02 Bulldogs 85 17 0 0 68 2003 St. Helens 31 19 0 0 76 2004–05 Brisbane Broncos 18 6 0 0 24 Total 321 134 1 0 538 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1992–02 Queensland 22 2 0 0 8 1997 Queensland (SL) 3 0 0 0 0 1997 Australia (SL) 5 3 0 0 12 1998–03 Australia 7 2 0 0 8 Source: ,[1] RLP and Yesterday's Hero Darren Smith (born 8 December 1968 in Brisbane, Queensland) is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. He played for the Australian national side and also Queensland in the State of Origin. His club football career was spent with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, Brisbane Broncos[2] and St. Helens. Smith was renowned as a versatile, long-lived player with an excellent football brain. He is the brother of fellow Maroon and international, Jason Smith.
Playing career
Smith came to Canterbury[2] from Brisbane's Easts Tigers in 1990. He represented Combined Brisbane against Great Britain as a 20-year-old in 1988 and made his State of Origin debut as a reserve for Queensland in the 1992 series.
Conspicuous in headgear after suffering severe concussion in 1991, Smith looked certain to press for Australian selection until off-field politics took its toll in 1994. His refusal to renew his contract with Canterbury, negotiating with two Brisbane clubs instead, saw him used in the limited role of interchange player. Smith's place in Canterbury's grand final side was taken by youngster Steven Hughes and he made little impact when brought on to the field as a replacement. Smith revealed that he had signed with the South Queensland Crushers but he then did an about-face and successfully sought a release to play with the Brisbane Broncos in 1995.
It was unfortunate that Smith hit possibly his best form at a time when the code was in turmoil, and he did not represent again until 1997’s Super League season. He proved his durability at the highest level, making his Test debut against New Zealand and playing in all five Tests against the kiwis and Great Britain as well as making three appearances in Queensland’s Tri-Series side.
When the game reunified for the 1998 NRL season, Smith returned to the Queensland State of Origin team and was the National Rugby League's top try-scorer for the season, crossing for the final try in Brisbane's 38–12 thrashing of his former club Canterbury in the 1998 NRL grand final. In an ironic twist to his career, Smith announced that he was returning to the Bulldogs in 1999.[2]
In 2000 he was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for his contribution to Australia's international standing in rugby league.
Smith left the Bulldogs at the end of 2002 (denied the opportunity to finally win a premiership with the club when it was stripped of its competition points) to play with St. Helens. He played against the 2002 NRL premiers, the Sydney Roosters, when they travelled to England to take on St. Helens in the 2003 World Club Challenge. At the end of his first English season Smith was unexpectedly called into the Third Test of the Ashes series (despite being 35 years old and outside the NRL) by his former Bulldogs coach, national coach Chris Anderson, who felt the available 2003 Kangaroo centres were not experienced enough.
Smith returned to Australia in 2004 and made cameo appearances with the Broncos in two matches while playing for his former club, Eastern Suburbs Tigers. At age 36 years and 284 days, he was the NRL's oldest player in 2005.[3] Smith finally retired as a player after Easts was beaten in the grand final. At the time of his retirement Smith held the record for most tries in a season for the Broncos (together with Steve Renouf) at 23.
References
- ^ SHS
- ^ a b c http://www.stats.rleague.com/rl/scorers/players/Darren_Smith.html
- ^ Toohey, Barry (2 February 2011). "Still some bite in old Mad Dog". The Daily Telegraph (Australia: News Limited). http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/still-some-bite-in-old-mad-dog/story-e6frfgbo-1225998290314. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
External links
- Darren Smith at stateoforigin.com.au
- Darren Smith at bulldogs.com.au
- Saints Heritage Society profile
Brisbane Broncos squad – 1997 Super League Premiers (3rd Title) 1 Darren Lockyer • 2 Michael De Vere • 3 Steve Renouf • 4 Anthony Mundine • 5 Wendell Sailor • 6 Kevin Walters • 7 Allan Langer (c)
• 8 Brad Thorn • 9 Andrew Gee • 10 Shane Webcke • 11 Gorden Tallis • 12 Peter Ryan • 13 Darren Smith
• 14 Tonie Carroll • 15 John Plath • 16 Michael Hancock • 17 Ben Walker
• Coach: Wayne BennettBrisbane Broncos squad – 1998 NRL Premiers (4th Title) 1 Darren Lockyer • 2 Michael De Vere • 3 Steve Renouf • 4 Darren Smith • 5 Wendell Sailor • 6 Kevin Walters • 7 Allan Langer (c)
• 8 Shane Webcke • 9 Phillip Lee • 10 Andrew Gee • 11 Gorden Tallis • 12 Brad Thorn • 13 Tonie Carroll
• 14 Michael Hancock • 15 John Plath • 16 Kevin Campion • 17 Petero Civoniceva
• Coach: Wayne BennettCategories:- 1968 births
- Australian rugby league players
- Brisbane Broncos players
- Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs players
- Eastern Suburbs Tigers players
- St Helens RFC players
- Recipients of the Australian Sports Medal
- Queensland Rugby League State of Origin players
- Living people
- Rugby league utility players
- Australia national rugby league team players
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