Gun Storm hooker Brandon Smith has all but confirmed he’ll be at the Roosters from 2023, revealing a moment with club great Mitch Aubusson made him look at a Tricolours jumper and think: “I want to win a premiership in that jersey”.
The attention centering on Smith’s search for a new home from 2023 has hit delirium during the off-season, as pundits piece together clues as to whether New Zealand’s Test rake will land at the Roosters, Titans, Dolphins, Eels, Panthers or Tigers.
Smith has toured the facilities of the Roosters, Titans and Dolphins – the club set to enter the league in 2023 – and said the Eels, Panthers and Tigers had joined the race to secure him.
READ MORE: Aussie Kambosos stuns boxing world with championship win
READ MORE: Boxing stars, experts in awe of Kambosos Jr
READ MORE: Loser booed for delusional post-fight claim
But a moment with Aubusson, the Roosters’ games record-holder, appears to have dashed the chances of all clubs bar the powerhouse Bondi franchise.
“Mitchy Aubo almost made me cry,” Smith told the YKTR podcast.
“How he spoke about the club and what they’ve done for him and the history of why they wear that jersey and why we play the way we do.
“Back in the ’20s, Bondi wasn’t what we see today. That’s what he was talking about.
“It pretty much wanted to make you cry. I was just looking at the Roosters jersey as he was saying it and I had goosebumps. I was looking at it going, ‘I want to win a premiership in that jersey’.”
Smith’s visit to Sydney included a hit of golf with Aubusson, former Roosters co-captain Jake Friend and Test teammate Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.
The 25-year-old, who’s played 86 NRL games since debuting in 2017, was also a welcome visitor at the home of Roosters coach Trent Robinson.
READ MORE: Barmy Army backflips on awkward Paine stance
READ MORE: ‘Disturbing’ research uncovers ugly Tokyo truth
READ MORE: NBA whacks LeBron with fine for ‘obscene gesture’
“I went over to his house and just made pizza and hung out with his family,” Smith said.
“He rang me up and said, ‘I know you’ve been in the papers, but I don’t want that. Just come over to my house’.
“The best thing about the Roosters is they’re about your life, not your footy. They want you to be set for life. They don’t want you to walk away with nothing from rugby league. If your life is good, footy’s good.
“They have genuine love for the team and the players. It’s just mind-blowing. They’re just so professional.
“I’ve made up my mind (where I’m going), but (you’ll) have to wait and see.”