‘It takes a toll on you’: How the Cheese matured after a tough start to life as a Rooster

Brandon Smith’s arrival in Sydney’s eastern suburbs was meant to make the Roosters a premiership force in 2023, but injuries and a lack of attacking cohesion made it “tough” for the rep star who has bounced back in a big way this year.

‘The Cheese’ has matured well this season and has found the right balance between his running game and knowing when to give his halves early ball, which wasn’t the case 12 months ago when the Roosters looked clunky and a lot of the blame was thrown his way.

It was a completely foreign system for Smith who split his time between a ball-running hooker and an energetic middle forward at the Storm, with the Kiwis dummy-half joining a team where Jake Friend’s role was to be their tackling machine.

What didn’t help was that Smith fractured his thumb against the Dragons in round 12 and missed two months just when he was starting to feel comfortable.

“The hand was an annoying one because I just had to run the whole time in the injured squad,” the well-spoken larrikin said.

“I’m definitely a lot more comfortable in the team, a lot more comfortable with my voice being able to talk in meetings and stuff like that. You don’t want to come in and just kind of express yourself fully when you first get there. It’s been a lot better this year.

“The injury was always tough, mentally, coming in trying to make a difference in the team and then you’re out for nine weeks. It takes a toll on you. Fortunately I got back and played some all right footy towards the back end of the season last year.

“Hopefully I can stay on the field and this year we can we can do a little bit better. If we just hold the ball and pretty much complete better than we have been against the good teams, we should be able to win the majority of our games.”

Smith averaged career highs in minutes (58) and tackles per game (28.6) last season, but his metres per game (51) and tackle busts (39) were well down in 2023 as he had to adjust to a number of changes in the spine.

He wasn’t happy with his performance against the Panthers last week even though he scored a trademark burrowing try, but his overall start to the season has been very encouraging and justifies why the Roosters were so keen to sign him.

“There’s definitely more cohesion in the team and coming in as a spine player is always tough, and it’s a completely different hooker role to Jake Friend,” he explained.

“We don’t play a very similar style, and it took a little bit to get used to. Now I think at least we’re doing better.

“It’s just getting more reps in together. Learning when I run, when I don’t run, how I like to move in defence and stuff like that. It’s just all of that cohesion. And I think we’re doing a really good job at the moment.”

Halfback Sam Walker is also getting used to Smith who he says is “one of the most dynamic ball-running nines in the game”, with the pair only playing 10 matches together last year after the No.7 was dropped and then injured for several months.

“It’s just letting him do his strengths and trying to work out how I can best capitalise off the back of his strengths,” he said.

“We’ve been able to spend a lot of time together. He’s been really good and we are definitely on a good path there.

“I just keep encouraging him to do his strengths, which is his running game and his vision is top shelf as well. And I try and find my strengths and my opportunities on the back of him.

“He’s adapted pretty well, and we’ve had to try and keep adapting with him as well.

“And then obviously, he’s a destructive ball-runner. The more opportunities you’re giving him close to the line there, the little bowling ball bashes over.”