Billy Smith

[Smacka]

I was favoured to be coached in my early teens by Tommy. He credited his toughness & endurance to Billy : he said he aimed for Smithy's commitment level to succeed. Although guided by Summons & Holman at Wests , he marvelled at Billy's endurance over the years.
Raudonikis had little time for Greg Oliphant , Steve Mortimer but did take a liking to Johnny Gibbs (hah ha) at one point.

 

[RedVee_8]

Happy Birthday Billy

 

[Lawman]

Billy Smith should have been an Immortal before Andrew Johns.I guess,Saints have too many Immortals already.Langlands and Smith - The Greatest Dynamic Duo.

 

[Inisai Toga]

Billy Smith should have been an Immortal before Andrew Johns.I guess,Saints have too many Immortals already.Langlands and Smith - The Greatest Dynamic Duo.

Nah, Lawman that thinking (too many from one club) was the main reason Chang wasn’t named in the first four chosen, which was a joke. Shouldn’t have anything to do with it imo; pick ‘em on whose the best irrespective. I’d agree with you however, regarding Smithy (and also Ronnie Coote) in the next batch chosen. Hard for me to accept that these two were never selected.

 

[RedVee_8]

Nah, Lawman that thinking (too many from one club) was the main reason Chang wasn’t named in the first four chosen, which was a joke. Shouldn’t have anything to do with it imo; pick ‘em on whose the best irrespective. I’d agree with you however, regarding Smithy (and also Ronnie Coote) in the next batch chosen. Hard for me to accept that these two were never selected.

If the NRL sticks to their script (no sure thing) then that last big announcement where they went back and got Provan and the pre ww2 guys was supposed to underline the selections, and only those from certain point on would be considered next time. I can’t remember when that was but I think it wiped out the 70s era and earlier.

 

[Number of the Beath]

The Immortals concept was a bit of a misfire. What should have been done was the selection of a team of 13 Immortals. That would have made sense, seeing that League is a team sport and would have guaranteed that players like Chang and Sticks would have had Immortal status from the start.
It still rankles with me that Johns was preferred to Billy. Johns was a better than average player, but I don't think that his achievements as a player outrank those of Billy especially when Australia had no serious challenger on an international level in Johns'time whereas England and France had much stronger sides in Billy's playing days.

 

[Coffs dragon]

Billy Smith is still my favourite and the best halfback I’ve seen play the game. He was so tough and so very talented with skill & courage.
His combination with Chang was 2nd nature & magical.
Billy bled for the Dragons and was all ticker.
At 80 years of age, he would and could embarrass these present bunch of heartless slugs… (exception to Hunt & Ramsay)