IT takes a special kind of player to be able to make the move from Super League to the NRL – and be successful.
He may only have been in Australia – and the capital Canberra to be exact – for a year but Morgan Smithies is quickly earning a reputation for himself in the NRL.
Just 24 years of age, Smithies played 24 times for the Raiders in what turned out to be a disappointing year for the Green Machine.
But, it’s fair to say that the loose-forward impressed with his no-nonsense approach and incredible commitment to defence – something which once saw Smithies make 55 tackles in the 2023 Super League Grand Final and even a record 72 tackles during a league game in the 2019 season.
And Smithies is enjoying every minute after confessing a move to Canberra was ‘too good to turn down’.
“Canberra has been class I love it and settled in well straight away when I first got here,” Smithies told League Express.
“All the lads here are close so it was an easy transition from England. I just had a bit of time back home in the off-season and it was good to see family and friends, but I’m very happy to be back here in Canberra and ready to get another NRL pre-season under the belt.
“Moving here was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down with wanting to play in the NRL one day since being a kid.
“Wigan is a great club with great people but I felt I had to take the opportunity in front of me and I’ve not looked back since.”
Whether it’s NRL to Super League or Super League to the NRL, some players find it difficult to settle in, and the 24-year-old has explained the hardest thing about the move.
“Obviously being on the over side of the world you do miss out on certain things, like I missed my brothers wedding last year which I was pretty gutted about.
“Little things like that make it hard from time to time, but they are the sacrifices I have to make. I watched them get married on FaceTime and kept getting FaceTime calls at the after party, so it’s all good!”
Click here to get the digital edition of League Express
Click here to subscribe to the print edition of League Express
League Express is also widely available from local newsagents across the north of England.
