Brandon Smith of the Storm.
The worst-kept concealed successful rugby league was confirmed connected Friday afternoon, arsenic Brandon Smith was officially locked successful arsenic a Sydney Roosters subordinate for 2023.
The Storm hooker was 1 of the hottest properties successful the crippled going into the twelvemonth aft next, but turned his backmost connected his existent club, and a imaginable determination to the Dolphins, to leap connected committee with 1 of the competition's heavyweights.
"We're excited to denote the signing of Brandon to a three-year statement and look guardant to welcoming him to the Club successful 2023," Roosters recruitment caput Daniel Anderson said.
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Smith and his caller club's courtship was precise public, prompting questions of the existent signing system, where helium volition present play an full play with the Storm adjacent though his aboriginal lies elsewhere.
Smith's comments astir joining the Roosters connected a podcast were the root of outrage for many, both astatine the Storm and the rugby league assemblage successful general.
The Rugby League Players Association baulked astatine the thought of introducing a transportation play successful the NRL, an contented that reared up again aft Smith and respective others made immense vocation moves much than 12 months successful advance.
Already since the 2022 declaration play opened connected November 1, the NRL has seen Smith, Felise Kaufusi, Isaiah Papali'i, Viliame Kikau, Reed Mahoney, Marata Niukore and others motion contracts with teams that they won't play with until 2023.
All of those players volition walk adjacent play representing their existent club, portion knowing they won't beryllium determination overmuch longer.
Smith has established himself arsenic 1 of the apical players astatine his position, winning the 2020 expansive last and racking up 86 NRL games since making his NRL debut successful 2017.
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