Jason Smith (rugby league)

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Jason Smith
Personal information
Full name Jason Smith
Date of birth 14 March 1972 (1972-03-14) (age 36)
Place of birth Flag of Australia Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Height 182 cm (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Weight 92 kg (14 st 6 lb)[1]
Nickname(s) Smithy[2]
Relatives Darren Smith (brother)
Youth clubs
Years Club
Brisbane Souths[2]
Senior clubs*
Years Club Apps (points)
1990–1995
1996–2000
2001–2004
2005–2006
2007		 Canterbury Bulldogs
Parramatta Eels
Hull F.C.
Canberra Raiders
North Queensland Cowboys		 63[3] (18)[4]
89[3] (100)[4]
? (?)
38[3] (37)[4]
20[1] (12)[4]
Representative teams
1994–2000
1995–2000		 Queensland
Australia		 16[5] (5)[5]
16[1] (12)

* Professional club appearances and points
counted for domestic first grade only.

Jason Smith (born 14 March 1972 in Brisbane, Queensland) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. He played primarily as a five-eighth or lock forward.

Contents

[edit] Career

Former Brisbane Souths five-eighth/lock and the younger brother of Darren Smith, Jason signed with the Canterbury Bulldogs as an 18-year-old in 1990. The following year Smith captained the club's President's Cup side to a grand final win over Parramatta but his development during the 1994 season was nothing short of remarkable.

Mobile, yet incredibly strong, he displayed his talent as a ball-player in Canterbury's back row or at five-eighth and impressed as a resolute defender. His 1994 State of Origin debut for Queensland ended when he was concussed after a sickening clash of heads with rival forward Ian Roberts. Smith recovered to play in Canterbury's losing grand final side and was rewarded for his season's efforts with selection in Australia's 28-man Kangaroo squad. His form on tour was excellent and although he was the outstanding player in wins over Warrington and Bradford Northern in the week leading up to Third Test selection, he could not break into Australia's Test team.

1995 proved to be a turning point in Smith’s career. After having originally signed with Super League, Smith and three team-mates (Dean Pay, Jarrod McCracken and Jim Dymock) turned their backs on their club and signed with the ARL. This move consequently ensured Smith a place in Queensland’s State of Origin team, with whom he was named man-of-the-match in the second game of that year's series. He also went on to play in all three Tests against New Zealand. After gaining a release from his Super League contract via the courts, Smith played in the Bulldogs’ grand final win against Manly before coming off the interchange bench in Australia’s 16-8 win in the World Cup final.

Joining Paramatta along with his defecting team-mates the following year in order to remain with the ARL competition, his representative career continued for Queensland and Australia (vs. Papua New Guinea) but his 1997 season was ruined by injury. At Parramatta, Smith’s commitment never wavered despite a succession of injuries. In three successive preliminary finals (1998-00), the Eels faltered at the last hurdle to make the grand final and too often the young club’s fortunes rested on his shoulders. In 1998, Smith played in the final two Tests of the Trans-Tasman series, alongside his brother Darren, and was chosen as lock in the first international the following year, Australia’s 20-14 win over New Zealand.

In the third State of Origin match in 1999, Smith was cleared of a controversial high tackle on opposing forward Mark Carroll that left the Blues' prop heavily concussed. (It was later revealed that Carroll’s own hand, which he raised in a reflex action to protect himself in Smith’s ball and all tackle, had struck him and done much of the damage).

The 1999 season concluded with three Test appearances in Australia’s victorious Tri-series win against New Zealand and Great Britain. 2000 saw Smith make his final appearance for Australia, in the 52-0 thrashing of NZ in the ANZAC Test. That year he was also awarded the Australian Sports Medal for his contribution to Australia's international standing in rugby league.

Declining to take on the Parramatta captaincy in his final year with the club, his career wound down after injuries and suspension saw him miss much of the second half of the season. Smith left the Eels at the end of the year to play for Hull FC in the English Super League, captaining the side from 2002 to 2004. 2005 saw him back in Australia playing with Canberra.

2007 saw a move North for Smith to the North Queensland Cowboys, becoming the oldest player to compete in National Rugby League season 2007. On 6 June, midway through the season, he announced that would retire at the end of the season.[6] He final game was on 15 September in the Cowboys semi final victory over the New Zealand Warriors. A leg injury saw him sit out the preliminary final loss to Manly.[7]

Brisbane newspaper The Courier-Mail confirmed on 31 August 2007 that Smith will take up the position of assistant coach of the Souths Logan Magpies in the 2008 Queensland Cup. This will put him in direct opposition with brother Darren, who will be head coach of rival side, Easts Tigers.

[edit] Statistics

[edit] Club Football

Canterbury Bulldogs
 1990 - 1995

Matches Tries Goals Field Goals Points
63 4 1 - 18

Parramatta Eels
1996 - 2000

Matches Tries Goals Field Goals Points
89 24 - 4 100

Canberra Raiders
2004 - 2006

Matches Tries Goals Field Goals Points
38 9 - 1 37

North Queensland Cowboys
2007

Matches Tries Goals Field Goals Points
21 4 - - 16

Career Stats
1990 - Present

Matches Tries Goals Field Goals Points
211 41 1 5 171

[edit] English Super League

Hull FC
2001 - 2004

Matches Tries Goals Field Goals Points
 ?  ?  ?  ?  ?

[edit] Representative Football

Queensland
1994 - 2000

Matches Tries Goals Field Goals Points
16 1 - 1 5

Australia
1995 - 2000

Matches Tries Goals Field Goals Points
16  ?  ?  ? 12

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d Player profile of Jason Smith. National Rugby League. Retrieved on 2007-09-12.
  2. ^ a b Player profile of Jason Smith. North Queensland Cowboys. Retrieved on 2007-09-12.
  3. ^ a b c Player profile of Jason Smith. Canterbury Bulldogs. Retrieved on 2007-09-12.
  4. ^ a b c d Jeffs, Paul. Jason Smith's NSWRL/ARL/NRL first grade points listing. stats.rleague.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-12.
  5. ^ a b Jeffs, Paul. Queensland's State of Origin caps and points listing. stats.rleague.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-12.
  6. ^ "Jason Smith announces NRL retirement", The Sydney Morning Herald, 2007-06-06. Retrieved on 2007-09-24. 
  7. ^ Mascord, Steve. "Cowboys salute Smith, Bowman", The Daily Telegraph, 2007-09-24. Retrieved on 2007-09-24. 


Persondata
NAME Smith, Jason
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION Australian rugby league player
DATE OF BIRTH 14 March 1972
PLACE OF BIRTH Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH