ABC News
[ Source: ABC News ]
It’s not that Tim Smith doesn’t think about it. Anyone would think about it, from time to time. It just doesn’t get to him anymore.
The 2005 Dally M Rookie of the Year, the ultimate rookie of the year, the greatest rookie rugby league has ever seen and perhaps will ever see, turned 40 years old in 2025.
It’s a big birthday for anyone, but has a special resonance for Smith because of the 40 try assists he put together during that debut season with Parramatta, an NRL record that will likely never be broken.
His childhood hero, Andrew Johns, never had 40. His contemporaries in that 2005 season, Johnathan Thurston and Benji Marshall, never had 40. All the play-making legends who have come since never got 40. That’s Tim Smith’s number, and Tim Smith’s alone.
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