Billy THE KID smith

[Batemans Bay Rooster]

I felt sorry for Campbell Graham last night, he clearly shouldn’t have been playing. I know Souths have been pumping pain killers into him but someone at that club needed to put a stop to this guy playing through the pain a while ago. He was struggling at times to get up and play the ball.

Billy Smith has had a great last month though, just so brutally physical. My favourite part of last nights game was the hit he took from the Souths winger, sure he got belted and lost the ball but if you’ve got the courage to run those lines and run those lines with the conviction he does you’re going to come out on the other end more times than not. Souths celebrated that hit like it was a match winning play in a Grand Final but I didn’t see any of their edge players hit a hole with as much intent as Billy Smith did all night, they just don’t get it. Sounds a strange comparison but he plays with the type of physicality that reminds me of Boyd Cordner, from minute 1 to minute 80 everything he does is with full intent.

Only a couple of weeks ago you were saying how teams were "running rings around him in defense", and suggesting we buy Brian Kelly from the Gold Coast.

Good to see you're now on the Billy Bandwagon 6

[Jacks Fur Coat]

I’ve been a big supporter of Billy all year when many on here wanted his head because he dropped a couple of balls and gave away a penalty or two. He gets better with every game under his belt and TBH, Billy delivers more effort in a game than Joey Manu does in three. Joey tends to disappear in games from time to time, then pull out something brilliant, whereas Billy is 100% effort at all times. I still think Billy has plenty more upside and in my opinion will be the best centre in the comp very soon. Quickly becoming my favourite Rooster.

Bates; good call on the Brett Kenny comparison. I saw the same thing in him and made the same comparison on his return to firsts in early May……..A wonderful return from Billy. He was great in the few games before his ACL last year and seems to have actually gotten better. Let’s hope he can continue to play well and stay on the field. He reminds me a bit of Brett Kenny with ball in hand; the natural swerve, acceleration and ability to beat a defender is a joy to behold in what is a lacklustre team at the moment. Well done Billy.

Bert? God I wish...no discredit to Billy. He was one of the all time greats.

Not much alike. Kenny was a very smart player with beautiful hands, quick feet. Made those around him look good. Billy is all about physicality and strength, with a touch of class. Reminds me more of a Brett Rodwell type.

[Johnny Brass]

Good old Souths care have a littered history of needling up their stars when they are busted up, Campbell Graham was the form centre of the comp early on in the year and have shown little regard for his welfare sending him out wounded each week.
I'll put my hand up and was one to bag Billy and so happy to be proven wrong he has been fantastic playing tough in defence and really grown in confidence with ball in hand and continually poking his nose through the line.

[Easts75]

He’s been tremendous, but…

Tupou, Suaalii, Manu, Young

I know I’m being a bit pessimistic after our great win but where does Smith fit in next year?

Toia will be our 3rd choice centre

[Random Rooster]

Best part about Billy is he is a genuine left centre, which has been hard to fill after Josh Morris retired. The centres hard are positions to play-especially in defence- ask Suaalii or The Hutch who had to fill a hole when Billy was out.

Billy was always determined to overcome those serious knee injuries and the club always backed him- so they knew he had ability. He must be mentally tough- most understandably would have given the game away. Well done Billy!

[Bates]

Bert? God I wish...no discredit to Billy. He was one of the all time greats.

Not much alike. Kenny was a very smart player with beautiful hands, quick feet. Made those around him look good. Billy is all about physicality and strength, with a touch of class. Reminds me more of a Brett Rodwell type.

His swerve and running style are similar. He also carries the ball away from his body using it as balance as he fends off the opposition. You'll probably see it when Gus or Johns highlight it.

[Rooster_6]

Only a couple of weeks ago you were saying how teams were "running rings around him in defense", and suggesting we buy Brian Kelly from the Gold Coast.

Good to see you're now on the Billy Bandwagon 6

And I maintain all of that, he was getting torn up defensively and we still have a shortage at left centre. Our next best option is who next year, Joseph Suaalii, Drew Hutchison or Jordan Swann?

Last year I was one of the few who backed the club for staying loyal to him and re-signing him when most on here wanted him released after his 3rd ACL injury so this isn’t a Billy thing.

It’s just being pragmatic when analysing our squad. I would still be on the lookout for a left centre just like I would like to see us strengthen in the 2nd row even though I’m a massive fan of Siua Wong.

[roosterchook]

Let me begin with “How sweet it is to beat souths and how sweet it is for the roosters to end the season and knock them out of the finals”. Almost equals a premiership!! Billy Smiths try just broke their spirits and lifted ours.

[BTRD]

Great to see him going gang busters. Seems to love the club as well.

[Batemans Bay Rooster]

Nice interview with Billy a few minutes ago on the radio. Said the Minichiello diet as well as being off the drink for 9 months has helped him - he made the decision to get off the drink "not that I was a raging alcoholic or anything" when he was driving home from Central Coast stadium after doing his ACL the most recent time. Decided he would do it to "repay the faith the Roosters have had in me and for sticking by me". Sounds like a good guy and absolutely loves the club.

[Qld Chook]

at left centre

Spot on, he is the only genuine left centre out of all of them named and has made that spot his own.

I think Dom Young & Suualli fight it out for right wing because Toups and Manu arent going anywhere. Good problem to have given we love an injury.

[Bruce 38-0]

Just heard him talking on Grandstand. Was a good chat and interesting what he had to say. I Lao gree with what others have been saying - having had those serious knee injuries he just needed to start playing regularly again. It’s almost like the injury period from last game to next game is say a year but then (no matter how ready you think you are) then you/we need to allow maybe 5-6 games or maybe longer to really get back into it, have confidence etc. to be back to where you were prior to the injury.

[Batemans Bay Rooster]

Best part about Billy is he is a genuine left centre, which has been hard to fill after Josh Morris retired. The centres hard are positions to play-especially in defence- ask Suaalii or The Hutch who had to fill a hole when Billy was out.

Billy was always determined to overcome those serious knee injuries and the club always backed him- so they knew he had ability. He must be mentally tough- most understandably would have given the game away. Well done Billy!

Agree for sure left centre is a very tough position to fill. Most centres have a right foot step, and which doesn't work so well at left centre. Imagine how less effective Joey Manu would be a left centre instead of right. Lots of the good left centres, Mitchell and Bradman Best to name 2, are left footed and have that left foot step to straighten things up. J Moz had more of a swerve. Billy has a good swerve too, and runs farkin hard. Sometimes running hard and straight he takes a hit like he did last night early on. But Billy runs just as hard next time. And the time after that.

[King Salvo]

Left centre was usually your best centre in offence and your weaker centre in D

In the old days around 70% of tries were scored on the left side vs right side D

Changed nowadays

Roosters for instance in 2023

Tries Scored

Equal % of tries scored on both the Left and Right sides (39% ) and 22% in the middle

Tries Conceded

33% Left Side - 27% Middle - 40% Right Side

[player 1]

Best part about Billy is he is a genuine left centre, which has been hard to fill after Josh Morris retired. The centres hard are positions to play-especially in defence- ask Suaalii or The Hutch who had to fill a hole when Billy was out.

Billy was always determined to overcome those serious knee injuries and the club always backed him- so they knew he had ability. He must be mentally tough- most understandably would have given the game away. Well done Billy!

I admit I had sadly given up on him and the seeming curse over him injury wise.

What a great and heartening story for both him and our club who stuck by him. In the short time he's been back he's developed into a real handful for opposition defenders, and boy did he embarrass Graham, injured or not, with that F.uck off fend for his try.

I think his gun performance would have pissed off both Latrell (occupying his former position), and Sam Burgess (who obsessively stalked him outside his home and pulled his hair during a game - in retaliation for a crazed, paranoid thought he had that Billy was responsible for his dick-pic sexting drama).