Tyran Carl Smith (born 15 March 1974)[3] is a New Zealand former rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s.

Tyran Smith
Personal information
Full nameTyran Carl Smith
Born (1974-03-15) 15 March 1974 (age 50)
Auckland, New Zealand
Playing information
Height196 cm (6 ft 5 in)
Weight112 kg (17 st 9 lb)
PositionSecond-row, Lock
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1993–96 South Sydney 52 8 0 0 32
1997 North Qld Cowboys 9 1 0 0 4
1997 Hunter Mariners 2 0 0 0 0
1998 Auckland Warriors 10 1 0 0 4
1999 Balmain Tigers 16 0 0 0 0
2000–01 Wests Tigers 42 6 0 0 24
2002–05 Canberra Raiders 57 5 0 0 20
Total 188 21 0 0 84
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1996–00 New Zealand 10 1 0 0 4
2000 Aotearoa Māori 3 0 0 0 0
Source: [1][2]

He along with Darrien Doherty and Blake Green are the only three players in the game's history to date to have the distinction of playing first grade for seven different NRL clubs. He now works as a player agent.[4]

Playing career

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Over a 13-season career, he played in the NSWRL Premiership, Australian Rugby League, Super League and finally the National Rugby League. During this time, he competed for a record seven clubs and represented both New Zealand and the Aotearoa Māori, competing for the later at the 2000 World Cup. He retired in 2005 with a long-term neck injury.[5][6]

Smith made his first-grade debut for South Sydney in Round 17, 1993 against Manly-Warringah at the Sydney Football Stadium, with the match finishing in a 38-10 loss. Smith spent four years at Souths, although his time there was not very successful, with the club spending most of that period towards the bottom of the ladder.[7]

Smith played for Souths in their upset 1994 Tooheys Challenge Cup final victory over Brisbane.[8]

In 1997, Smith joined North Queensland who had joined the rival Super League competition during the Super League war. Smith then left North Queensland mid-season to join the Hunter Mariners. However, Smith only featured in two games for the club, including its final-ever game which was against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in Round 18, 1997.

After the Hunter Mariners were liquidated, Smith joined the Auckland Warriors and featured in ten games for them before signing with the Balmain Tigers for the 1999 season, Balmain’s final year as a stand-alone entity before they merged with fellow foundation club Western Suburbs to form the Wests Tigers as part of the NRL's rationalisation strategy.

A member of the inaugural Wests Tigers side at the start of the 2000 season, Smith was named the club's player of the year.[9][10]

In 2002, Smith joined the Canberra Raiders and spent four years at the club, including the Raiders’ 2003 and 2004 finals campaigns.[11]

Later years

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Smith is the brother-in-law of fellow NRL footballer Anthony Mundine, having married his sister, Kellie.[12]

He is now a Director of Sportsplayer Management alongside John Hopoate.[13][14]

His son Reimis Smith is currently on the roster of the Melbourne Storm.

References

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  1. ^ "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  2. ^ Yesterday's Hero
  3. ^ SMITH, TYRAN CARL 1994, 1996 - 97, 2000 - KIWI #658 nzleague.co.nz
  4. ^ "Blake Green journeyman". www.foxsports.com.au.
  5. ^ Neck injury ends Tyran Smith's career ABC Sport, 31 August 2005
  6. ^ "Injury forces Kiwi Smith to retire". Television New Zealand. AAP. 31 August 2005. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
  7. ^ "South Sydney Rabbitohs Rugby League Player Report - Tyran Smith". www.ssralmanac.com.
  8. ^ "The Giant Killers". www.rabbitohs.com.au.
  9. ^ David Middleton, ed. (2010). 2010 Official Rugby League Annual. Alexandria NSW, 2015: News Magazines for the National Rugby League. p. 181.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  10. ^ "Wests Tigers first grade players list". Wests Tigers.
  11. ^ "All time first grade players list". Canberra Raiders.
  12. ^ "Beau Mundine signs for Canberra". The Age. Australia: The Age Company Ltd. 5 May 2004. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
  13. ^ Tyran Smith is all business Sunday Star Times, 6 July 2008.
  14. ^ Tyran Smith SportsPlayer Management
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