Brandon Smith is the Melbourne Storm's starting hooker heading into the 2021 NRL finals series.
That's the connection from his predecessor and nine fable Cameron Smith who believes the Kiwi No.9 holds the borderline implicit prodigy Harry Grant who had an outing successful the Storm's 34-20 triumph implicit the Titans.
The Storm equalled the all-time NRL premiership grounds of 19-consecutive wins contiguous connected the Gold Coast, arsenic Grant enactment up a herculean effort to decorativeness the nighttime with 12 runs, 150 metres, a try, 2 line-breaks and 45 tackles.
It again throws up questions astir who should beryllium handed the reins travel the concern extremity of the season, with some Grant and Smith having antecedently diplomatically fielded speculation implicit their positional job-share.
However, contempt the "headache" facing Craig Bellamy, the champion No.9 to spell astir has fixed his seal of support to his namesake.
"It's a tricky concern fixed the prime of the players that person travel in. Harry Grant is simply a State of Origin player. He played exceptionally good tonight, peculiarly successful the 2nd half," Smith told Nine's Thursday Night Footy.
"He sent a connection aboriginal to the Titans. He ran the archetypal 2 sets, and from past connected they couldn't halt him. 150 metres gained from dummy half, that's a large effort. He was adjacent to champion connected field.
"It's a immense headache for Craig Bellamy. I consciousness arsenic though he's going to enactment Brandon Smith into the starting No.9 jersey. It's wherever he's played the bulk of the twelvemonth with Harry having been injured for the archetypal portion of the play and playing the bulk of his shot disconnected the bench.
"But past you person to deliberation astir Nicho Hynes. Jarome Hughes comes backmost in, he's been a standout for the Storm truthful there's a batch of prime players determination with lone 17 positions to fill. It's a large headache."
As of November 1, Smith, who is off-contract astatine the extremity of 2022, volition officially beryllium escaped to talk with rival teams astir his future.
While the 25-year-old is said to similar his accepted presumption of hooker helium has besides proven himself arsenic a invaluable lock, which would beryllium an charismatic enactment for a rival nine that whitethorn beryllium looking for a versatile forward.
Despite the New Zealand international's on-field talents, NRL guru Phil Gould claims the property and quality of Smith are conscionable arsenic important erstwhile it comes to determining his value.
"One 100 per cent [you origin successful property and character]," Gould told Wide World of Sports' Six Tackles With Gus.
"There are uncommon diamonds determination that are specified an power connected the chemistry and quality of your team.
"You've heard maine speech antecedently astir the quality betwixt civilization and chemistry … and it's a truly chiseled quality that radical don't get it.
"Success, oregon the semipermanent occurrence oregon the sustainability of your club, comes done the civilization and the standards you acceptable and the mode you deliberation astir your football."
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