Brandon Smith’s fitness called into question ahead of Sydney Roosters debut

Brandon Smith’s fitness has been questioned as the Star Roosters recruit will make his club debut with Hooker in Round 1.

The Kiwi star joined the Tricolors in a lucrative deal after a successful stint with the Storm, bringing a wealth of big-game experience and X-Factor to the side.

Smith had been forced to split dummy-half duties with Harry Grant and Tyran Wishart in 2022, leading to his exit from Melbourne to claim a starting No9 role at a rival club.

Sam Verrills was transferred from the Roosters late last year and opened the door for Smith to take the hooker spot, but there are fears the New Zealand international could struggle to play big minutes.

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Speaking of NRL 360 On Wednesday night, former club captain Braith Anasta sounded alarm bells over team selection for the Roosters, with the club opting not to leave specialist hooker Jake Turpin on the bench.

“Brandon Smith can he play 80 minutes for the Roosters? He has once [in his career],” he said.

“They didn’t bench with Jake Turpin, they benched with Drew Hutchison. I think that’s meant to cover a range of positions but it will be interesting to see how Brandon is used and if they continue to use him how they perform in that first round.

“Brandon Smith really plays himself to the point of exhaustion… that’s how he plays. Everything is 100mph and we saw that at the Worlds – there was a missed tackle… look how tired he was and that was a big game.

“That’s probably a concern of the Roosters, making sure he’s fresh when he’s on the field and making the right decisions so he can make those tackles.

“That’s probably why they covered him and won’t play him for 80 minutes for most of the year.”

Smith is a unique player due to his physique, speed, power and ability to play eyes-on-footy, making him one of the top midfield attacking threats in the entire competition.

The injury error that hit the Roosters ahead of their clash with the Dolphins on Sunday afternoon could also factor into Trent Robinson’s decision making with Joseph Manu and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves sidelined.

“I think with Manu and the lack of depth in the full-backs, Hutchison can cover that if they need him and the halves,” Anasta said.

“Where as if Manu was in there, then maybe Turpin will start there in the No 14 because they don’t have to worry as much about their back if there’s an injury out there.”