By Nick Wright
Roosters centre Billy Smith has endured a horror time on the injury front, but he is quickly establishing himself a must-quick in this Sydney backline.
Given the losses the club endured in their outside backs – incumbent centres Joey Manu and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii both leaving for rugby union – they needed somebody to fill those voids.
Rookie Robert Toia has gone a long way to filling one, and given the Queensland Maroons hope their lack of depth in jerseys No.3 and No.4 will be resolved in the future.
But Smith has been a shining light.
Having only just returned from hip and ankle concerns, the 25-year-old has managed just 30 NRL appearances since his 2019 debut due to several ACL ruptures which have threatened his career.
But in Friday night’s 26-16 triumph of the Brisbane Broncos, Smith showcased his potential, scoring twice – each from sensational put downs from kicks – while finishing with 120 running metres and 17 tackles.
Billy Smith celebrates scoring for the Sydney Roosters against the Brisbane Broncos.Credit: NRL Photos
His first score came leaping above Broncos fullback Reece Walsh, while his second was an amazing grounding on a James Tedesco grubber which looked to be travelling dead for all money.
Smith did not have it all his own way, sent to the sin bin under the NRL’s high tackle crackdown. In that 10-minute stint on the sidelines, Brisbane went on the attack, scoring through a Selwyn Cobbo intercept and Reece Walsh.
However, when Brisbane edge forward Jack Goseiwski was sent to the sin bin upon review from the Bunker, Sydney went back on the charge, with Smith scoring his second while Angus Crichton forced his way over from close range.
“He set the tone there off that high ball. It’s just the intensity he trains with everyday and gets rewards. Billy means a lot for us at the club, and he’s definitely fought through a lot and we’ve lived that with him. I think it’s the most I’ve seen Daniel Tupou smile coming off the ground just talking about Billy. There’s joy in the players in the way they’ve rallied around him.”
Roosters coach Trent Robinson
Hindsight sin bin has to go
The NRL is determined to break into the American market through its ambitious Las Vegas ventures.
But how can we expect to target new fan bases when the game is still determining the rules during the course of the season?
Jack Goseiwski is sent to the sin bin during the Brisbane Broncos defeat to the Sydney Roosters.Credit: NRL Photos
Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf highlighted during the week that 12 high tackle charges had been levelled across the opening four weeks, only for the same number to be dealt in round five.
As for the sin binnings, the ones given in hindsight upon inspection are an eyebrow raiser.
Broncos forward Jack Goseiwski was given his marching orders after a hit on Victor Radley, with Roosters coach Trent Robinson confirming he would “ask about that”.
It was period in which the Roosters scored twice, as the Broncos did when Billy Smith was given his marching orders, but the fact it occurred in retrospect meant Sydney received no penalty.
“I’m not going to go into that, we didn’t turn up physical enough to earn the right to get that one. I just felt they were hungrier than where we were at. I think enough people have spoken about that, I don’t need to jump on that. We needed to complete higher and be more physical.”
Broncos coach Michael Maguire
Woolf suggested if this continued, players would feel encouraged to lie down in the tackle to ensure they received the double whammy of benefits, while he also highlighted the inconsistencies in the interpretations of what constituted a sin binning and suspension and what did not.
The focus on player welfare is a must. There has been so much research which has emerged with relation to the links between contact sport and brain diseases, and Jesse Arthars was confirmed as OK by Broncos coach Michael Maguire and confused to be sent for a head injury assessment.
But are we looking at resolving the issue from the wrong angle and attempting to orchestrate a band-aid solution?
A plethora of concussions occur when defenders go low as opposed to high, but whatever the solution is, the status quo is becoming a blight on the game.
Haas shut down
After beginning 2025 as the premier player in the game, Payne Haas was nullified by some brilliant shutdown defence through the middle by the Roosters.
Payne Haas was well contained by the Sydney Roosters in their triumph of the Brisbane Broncos.Credit: NRL Photos
Sydney’s pack targeted the Broncos’ big man, forcing him to make 40 tackles, while the way Nat Butcher and Naufahu Whyte contained him to 131 running metres from 16 carries – having averaged 166 metres until Friday night – was crucial in registering just their second win of the year.
Butcher in particular was on song, finishing with 178 running metres and 25 tackles for no misses to go with a what proved the decisive try.
Without Haas’ trademark go-forward, Brisbane’s backline was unable to click into gear.
On the edges, Ben Hunt was completely shut down, with Adam Reynolds’ influence also limited as Angus Crichton and Siua Wong timing their tackles sensationally.
Despite scoring a try and setting up another with a pinpoint cutout pass for Arthars, Walsh was also restricted with 126 metres from 14 runs.
It appeared as though Sydney had taken heed of the lesson the Canberra Raiders put out to the rugby league world when they conquered Brisbane, and it was all the more impressive given State of Origin champion Lindsay Collins remains sidelined with an MCL injury.
“He [Butcher] is just consistent, I thought he was one of our best tough the mide They had a big task against Payne and Paddy Carrigan … but I thought our forward pack did a great job on them.”
Roosters captain James Tedesco
Where to now for veterans career
Chad Townsend was brought to the Roosters from the North Queensland Cowboys as cover for their halves, which at first appeared a masterstroke when Sam Walker succumbed to a ruptured ACL late last season.
But his axing after Sydney slumped to a 1-4 start led to 194-centimetre youngster Hugo Savala earning his opportunity, and the 23-year-old rose to the occasion.
Hugo Savala on the attack for the Sydney Roosters against the Brisbane Broncos.Credit: NRL Photos
The way he took control of the kicking game in his starting debut, finishing with 478 kick metres, released the pressure on five-eighth Sandon Smith and the rest of the backline.
But it was the nature of his work with the boot which put the pressure back on Brisbane, pinning Walsh deep in his own end and forcing the hosts to chance their arm, ultimately causing several errors in attack.
What this means for Townsend could be the end of his career, with the 34-year-old and former premiership-winner with Cronulla now well and truly on the outer.
He will only fall further down the pecking order when Walker makes his comeback deep into the campaign. But for now, Savala has done enough to keep leading this Roosters’ attack.
“He’s a nice kicker, he’s got a long kick and showed that early. But then the ability to find space and the weight of the kick, that finish at the back end for us in that last 15-minutes … it got uncomfortable for both teams, and Hugo’s kicking won us the game.”
Trent Robinson