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Rabbitohs ramp up pursuit of Kiwi hooker Brandon Smith
Jasper Bruce, AAP • March 18th, 2025 9:00 am
Photo: AAP
Brandon Smith appears unlikely to make an immediate move to South Sydney as the Rabbitohs amp up their pursuit of the Sydney Roosters hooker.
NSW dummy-half Reece Robson's arrival at the Roosters for 2026 has spelt bad news for Smith, inconsistent across two years in Bondi and out of contract for 2025.
Smith spoke on a podcast last week of his desire to play for Souths, whose coach Wayne Bennett had unsuccessfully attempted to lure him to his previous club the Dolphins.
Bennett has since indicated his ongoing interest in Smith, a premiership winner who boasts the ability to toggle between hooker and lock.
Suggestions had been that Smith could make an immediate switch to the Rabbitohs and begin lining up once he has recovered from a long-term knee injury suffered late last season.
But a move in 2025 was downplayed by South Sydney at Monday's announcement for Gadhu Gathering, which will see three games played at Allianz Stadium as part of Indigenous Round between August 15 and 17.
"We don't really have much space in terms of the cap available this year so we're not sure (if there's any room to chase him in 2025)," chief executive Blake Solly said.
"We're talking with Brandon's management at the moment.
"Clearly Wayne's interested and Brandon doesn't want to let Wayne down a second time, so we'll see where we get to over the next few days and weeks."
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The news comes only two weeks after Peter Mamouzelos assumed Souths' hooker jersey full-time after Damien Cook was moved on in the off-season.
Solly said Souths still had plans for local product Mamouzelos.
"Pete's a big part of our future," Solly said.
"You look at most teams in the game now and they're playing two hookers so it's up to Wayne with how he wants to use that."
Playing hooker in Smith's absence, utility Connor Watson joked the Roosters playing group would need to pull the injured Kiwi into line for speaking glowingly of their bitter rivals.
"He needs to shout the boys coffee for that, I reckon," Watson said.
"I love him, but sometimes he says things.
"I hope he's here for the rest of the year. He's been training really well and he's getting strong and looks really fit."
But Gamilaroi man Watson said it was worth welcoming the old enemy into the backyard for Gadhu Gathering, which will also see Wests Tigers host a home game at Allianz Stadium in August.
"It'll be good to have them and the Tigers host games here," he said.
"We're lucky with this stadium that we get to play in it every week. It'll be good to let those guys have it for a week.
"It's such an important round in the NRL calendar, it's a really good celebration of Indigenous culture."
