Gun Storm hooker Brandon Smith has each but confirmed he'll beryllium astatine the Roosters from 2023, revealing a infinitesimal with nine large Mitch Aubusson made him look astatine a Tricolours jumper and think: "I privation to triumph a premiership successful that jersey".
The attraction centering connected Smith's hunt for a caller location from 2023 has deed delirium during the off-season, arsenic pundits portion unneurotic clues arsenic to whether New Zealand's Test rake volition onshore astatine the Roosters, Titans, Dolphins, Eels, Panthers oregon Tigers.
Smith has toured the facilities of the Roosters, Titans and Dolphins – the nine acceptable to participate the league successful 2023 – and said the Eels, Panthers and Tigers had joined the contention to unafraid him.
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But a infinitesimal with Aubusson, the Roosters' games record-holder, appears to person dashed the chances of each clubs barroom the powerhouse Bondi franchise.
"Mitchy Aubo astir made maine cry," Smith told the YKTR podcast.
"How helium spoke astir the nine and what they've done for him and the past of wherefore they deterioration that jersey and wherefore we play the mode we do.
"Back successful the '20s, Bondi wasn't what we spot today. That's what helium was talking about.
"It beauteous overmuch wanted to marque you cry. I was conscionable looking astatine the Roosters jersey arsenic helium was saying it and I had goosebumps. I was looking astatine it going, 'I privation to triumph a premiership successful that jersey'."
Smith's sojourn to Sydney included a deed of play with Aubusson, erstwhile Roosters co-captain Jake Friend and Test teammate Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.
The 25-year-old, who's played 86 NRL games since debuting successful 2017, was besides a invited visitant astatine the location of Roosters manager Trent Robinson.
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"I went implicit to his location and conscionable made pizza and hung retired with his family," Smith said.
"He rang maine up and said, 'I cognize you've been successful the papers, but I don't privation that. Just travel implicit to my house'.
"The champion happening astir the Roosters is they're astir your life, not your footy. They privation you to beryllium acceptable for life. They don't privation you to locomotion distant with thing from rugby league. If your beingness is good, footy's good.
"They person genuine emotion for the squad and the players. It's conscionable mind-blowing. They're conscionable truthful professional.
"I've made up my caput (where I'm going), but (you'll) person to hold and see."