THE Eels have moved quickly to re-sign Tim Smith in his remarkable rookie season. BRAD EARL meets the young man setting the NRL alight.
WHEN Tim Smith got his surname tattooed on the inside of his forearm just before New Years Eve, little did he know he would make a name for himself in such a big way in 2005.
Parramatta last week re-signed the halfback for the next two years. Smith's form since his opening round debut made him the Eels' top priority before the player market opened.
The 20 year old has taken his overnight success in his stride. "I just go out there and play footy - that's what I like doing," he said. "I just do all my stuff on the footy field and hopefully it pays off". Smith has lived with the next big thing tag since arriving at Parramatta from Runaway Bay on the Gold Coast as an Australian Schoolboy. A two year apprenticeship in the lower grades ensued. Smith pays tribute to his first coach in Jersey Flegg, Jason Taylor for helping him in that year "when things weren't going so well". "I was really homesick. Coming from Queensland to Parramatta was a bit of a change and I was missing my family. He helped me out a lot".
Smith has all the hallmarks of a natural-born footballer - little wonder considering he began playing at age four. He says it was "always my goal" to play in the NRL. When several clubs came knocking, the Eels had a headstart. "My Dad, Mark, followed Parramatta when I was a young boy, so I was pretty much a Parramatta supporter the whole time".
Such has been the well documented passing parade of Eels halves that Smith is set to become the first long-term No.7 since Peter Sterling more than a decade ago. Smith's performance in the recent big win over North Queensland led him to meeting Sterlo, who has been giving him big wraps, as a TV pundit. "He just came down and said 'good game'. It was good to meet him", he said.
One man who isn't surprised by the unaffected way Smith is handling his new found fame is Terry Rose. The Parramatta Junior League Executive Officer was his house parent under the club's long established scheme of providing a home away from home for teenage recruits from outside Sydney. "He's a champion kid", Rose said. "He's a million miles away from a bighead".
It seems the only changes in Smith this year have been in appearance, with his tatoo accompanied by a trendy hairstyle. "My roommate Josh Cordoba fancies hairdressing, so he just does my haircuts for me," Smith said, adding with a smile: "I don't know how good he is - not too good, apparently".
THE RISE OF TIM SMITH
- 2002 Queensland Under-17's and Australian Schoolboys
- 2003 Came to Parramatta and played Jersey Flegg
- 2004 Started the season in Flegg, promoted to Premier League
- 2005 NRL debut in the opening round and leads comp in try assists
Good stuff, love the haircut quote and a little disurbed by Josh 'the hairdresser' ...
WHEN Tim Smith got his surname tattooed on the inside of his forearm just before New Years Eve, little did he know he would make a name for himself in such a big way in 2005.
Parramatta last week re-signed the halfback for the next two years. Smith's form since his opening round debut made him the Eels' top priority before the player market opened.
The 20 year old has taken his overnight success in his stride. "I just go out there and play footy - that's what I like doing," he said. "I just do all my stuff on the footy field and hopefully it pays off". Smith has lived with the next big thing tag since arriving at Parramatta from Runaway Bay on the Gold Coast as an Australian Schoolboy. A two year apprenticeship in the lower grades ensued. Smith pays tribute to his first coach in Jersey Flegg, Jason Taylor for helping him in that year "when things weren't going so well". "I was really homesick. Coming from Queensland to Parramatta was a bit of a change and I was missing my family. He helped me out a lot".
Smith has all the hallmarks of a natural-born footballer - little wonder considering he began playing at age four. He says it was "always my goal" to play in the NRL. When several clubs came knocking, the Eels had a headstart. "My Dad, Mark, followed Parramatta when I was a young boy, so I was pretty much a Parramatta supporter the whole time".
Such has been the well documented passing parade of Eels halves that Smith is set to become the first long-term No.7 since Peter Sterling more than a decade ago. Smith's performance in the recent big win over North Queensland led him to meeting Sterlo, who has been giving him big wraps, as a TV pundit. "He just came down and said 'good game'. It was good to meet him", he said.
One man who isn't surprised by the unaffected way Smith is handling his new found fame is Terry Rose. The Parramatta Junior League Executive Officer was his house parent under the club's long established scheme of providing a home away from home for teenage recruits from outside Sydney. "He's a champion kid", Rose said. "He's a million miles away from a bighead".
It seems the only changes in Smith this year have been in appearance, with his tatoo accompanied by a trendy hairstyle. "My roommate Josh Cordoba fancies hairdressing, so he just does my haircuts for me," Smith said, adding with a smile: "I don't know how good he is - not too good, apparently".
THE RISE OF TIM SMITH
- 2002 Queensland Under-17's and Australian Schoolboys
- 2003 Came to Parramatta and played Jersey Flegg
- 2004 Started the season in Flegg, promoted to Premier League
- 2005 NRL debut in the opening round and leads comp in try assists
Good stuff, love the haircut quote and a little disurbed by Josh 'the hairdresser' ...
