TYSON SMOOTHY may be an NRL champion, but his first goal at Wakefield is simply to play regularly for the first team.
The 26-year-old came off the bench in Brisbane Broncos’ Grand Final triumph over his first club Melbourne Storm in October, ensuring he departed for Super League on a high.
But while he can wear his Premiership ring with pride, Smoothy is certain he hasn’t made it to the top just yet.
In three years at Brisbane he played 42 NRL games, with that Grand Final the last of only ten appearances last year.
Before that he played four times at Melbourne, and the majority of his career games to date have instead come in the second-tier Queensland Cup for feeder sides.
As a result, Smoothy’s ambitions for his time at Wakefield is quite modest, as he explained.
“I want to play consistently,” he said.
“I’ve always wanted to and I’m still looking for that. The last time I did was in the Queensland Cup, so I want to build at a higher level.
“Back home I was in and out of the team, so hopefully in England I can play more consistently.”
Smoothy – who is being primed to play in his preferred position of hooker, although he can also be fielded at loose-forward – has no doubt he made the right decision in committing to the journey from Brisbane to Wakefield last February, despite playing his part in the Broncos’ rise.
“That group has been together for a while and has been through a lot,” he said.
“They had tough times and won a wooden spoon (in 2020), but that connection helped them to have success.
“I was there for three years and the success did make it hard to leave. But I’m looking forward to what we can do here.”
Like many others, Smoothy has identified a top-six finish as a minimum target now for upwardly-mobile Trinity.
And he added: “Hopefully I can bring a bit of experience, and leadership as well. That’s something I want to grow in my game. I want to help control the game.”