He's not even the best hooker at his own NRL club.
But Brandon Smith showed he has what it takes to be one of the game's premier rakes by inspiring the Maori's 30-16 win over the Indigenous All Stars on Saturday night.
The nuggety No.9 burrowed over for two late tries to earn man-of-the-match honours in the All Stars game's return to the Gold Coast, upstaging some of the NRL's biggest names.
Brandon Smith of the Maori Kiwis breaks free at CBus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast.Credit:AAP
He also broke Indigenous hearts with his solo tries in the 69th and 75th minutes – and it could have been worse.
Smith was denied a third try under the posts in the 74th minute.
No wonder Indigenous captain Joel Thompson was happy to see the back of him.
"I don't want to see him again," Thompson laughed.
"We spoke about [stopping] him [before the game] but he is a little tank."
AAP
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