THERE was a time when Tim Smith was idolised in one certain part of West Yorkshire.
That part of the county is of course Wakefield where the halfback spent a few seasons, excelling at Belle Vue and becoming a cult hero on the terraces.
Between 2012 and 2014, Smith made 51 appearances for Trinity before making a big-money move to the Salford Red Devils in 2014.
However, he would return to Wakefield midway through 2015 on loan before having his contract terminated on October 1 for gross misconduct – just a week before Trinity’s crunch Million Pound Game fixture against Bradford Bulls.
It was alleged at the time that Smith, along with teammate Kevin Locke, had crashed his car into another vehicle and into the wall of a house.
As a result, Smith attended Beverley magistrates court and was banned from driving for 28 months and fined £900 after admitting failing to provide a specimen following the car crash in September 2015.
That ultimately led to chairman Michael Carter sacking Smith. Now the halfback has opened up on that ordeal as well as his alcohol problems in the past.
“I stuffed up (Smith said of the incident that led to his sacking), I now realise I had a few things going on that at the time,” Smith told the Wakefield Trinity Heritage podcast.
“I stuffed up. I really wanted to play in that relegation game but they didn’t want me to play which is fair enough. If that happened now it would have been the same result.
“It was sad because against Widnes the week before, that was the last competitive game I’ve ever played and we got touched up (Wakefield lost that game 46-4).”
Smith went on, explaining that numerous people had tried to help him through his mental health issues and alcohol problems but that he wasn’t “ready” for those talks.
“I knew there was something going on but the thing is a lot of people tried to help me – I just wasn’t ready for it. I definitely know now that Tim Smith shouldn’t have a beer and that’s just the way it is.
“It is what it is, I can’t change it and I wish I did things a little differently but that’s not my story.
“The booze doesn’t work well for me and I don’t drink anymore for that reason. If you’re allergic to peanuts you don’t eat peanuts, I’m allergic to booze so I don’t have it.
“I’m living a different lifestyle, you sometimes have to go through a few things to change your lifestyle.”
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