When Jese Smith-Shields opened a text from his brother earlier this month saying: “Will you give your hamstring to me?” he began to laugh.
But moments later, Jese was told it was no joke – his younger brother, promising Raiders outside back Harley Smith-Shields, was set to undergo a knee reconstruction after rupturing his ACL… and needed some hamstring.
“We have always been very close – we are only 18 months apart in age and he is always messing with me,” 23-year-old Jese told Wide World of Sports.
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“But then he explained to me that the doctors needed a good hamstring muscle for a graft of the knee.
“The problem is that Harley has had hamstring troubles since he was a kid – he has torn both of them several times.
“I have been lucky with my hamstrings… so he thought of me.
“I was going into hospital anyway for back surgery from an old footy injury, so he said ‘You are going to be on your back anyway… why not give me a bit of your hamstring as well?’.
“It took me aback, I have to admit, but if it gets him back on the field and keeps his NRL dream alive, I am proud to help out.”
Football is very much a part of the Smith-Shields family in Canberra.
Harley, Jese and a third brother, Dale, all played for Gungahlin Bulls in the Raiders junior league and when Harley made his NRL debut in 2020, a huge contingent of family and friends were on hand to cheer him on.
“He’s had a bad run with injury but has played a few games,” Jese said.
“Fortunately the operation was a success and we are both recovering together.
“I work in the family business as a tiler but will be off for three months and he probably won’t play again until next year, so we are going to be spending quite a bit of time together.
“And when he does get back to the NRL, a little bit of me will be out there with him… it will be a funny story we can tell our grandkids.”
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