Same jersey, different Smoothy as Jai chases Cup dream

With older brother Tyson now on a development contract at the Brisbane Broncos - making his Wynnum Manly Seagulls debut last week in Cup – Smoothy is determined to make his own mark at the Sunshine Coast and become a familiar face in Cup.

“I’d like to get a lot more games under my belt this year,” Smoothy said.

“Last year I was alright with not getting named much because I had 21s to go back to, but this year, it’s club footy or it’s Cup.

“I really want to push for a consistent spot in that Cup side and get a lot more games under my belt.”

Smoothy is no stranger to the Cup environment having trained with the squad in the past throughout his Colts days. He said being part of that squad instantly lifted his game, with his teammates and coaching staff pushing him to a new level.

Coach Brad Henderson has laid out his expectations of Smoothy for season 2023, and he said he was continuing to strive towards that.

“The energy, the tempo, everything about it is different,” Smoothy said of Cup.

“Just the way they do things, the talk, everything just flows a lot more consistently and high quality.

“Everything you do is at a higher standard and if you’re below that standard, you’ll get a speaking to. You have to jump up to that standard as soon as you come to this level.

“That’s a really good thing because when you have to jump to that standard, you grow a lot more as a player.

“For this year, (Henderson) just wants to see me back myself. He’s looking at me as a bit of a hooker/half, someone who can cover a couple positions for him, which I don’t mind.

“He just wants me to back myself and back my ability, with running the ball and in defence. He just wants to see me give it my all whenever I get out there for him.”

With that knowledge of Henderson’s expectations behind him, Smoothy doesn’t have to look far for inspiration.

He said the biggest influences on his career so far are his brother Tyson and former Sunshine Coast playmaker Todd Murphy, who is back at the club this year to help with their halves.

And having watched his brother closely last year as he put in a stunning effort that saw him rewarded with a Broncos contract, Smoothy can see that Tyson did exactly what Henderson is asking of him this year.

“It’s the best year I’ve seen him play out of all the footy I’ve ever watched him play, which is a lot. He got into his own and backed himself a lot more,” Smoothy said of Tyson.

“After his last year, he really deserved a contract in the NRL. He absolutely killed it.

“Watching him, it makes me want to go where he is. I’m very proud of him and the opportunity he’s getting. I really hope that it gets a lot further and he gets a new deal at the end of the year.

“It makes me want to reach that and play with him - or even verse him - at that level. That would be a dream come true to do that.”