Playing against CAM

I think every hooker wants to play like Cameron Smith. There isn’t anything he doesn’t do well.

I played in the halves until I was about 15, but then a hooking position became available in the Harold Matthews Cup team at the Sharks and our coach – Darren Capovilla – encouraged me to take it. I haven’t looked back from there.

I’d watched Cameron a lot before that, like you watch all the great players, but I took even more notice from then on. Watched a lot of videos of him and tried to pick up on things.

I feel like I’m a good defender and that I can make something happen in attack by getting out of dummy half and putting the defence in two minds. I’ve got a bit of a kicking game as well. I think that’s one of my strengths and hopefully I’ll gradually bring that out a bit more this season.

I try to bring that cool, calm and collected head in the middle of the field and just try to be smart, like Cameron. I know Jayden learned an awful lot from watching him as well.

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I’m looking forward to playing against him when the Sharks are at home to the Melbourne Storm on Friday night. He plays 80 minutes pretty much every week, so I’m sure he’ll still be out there no matter what time I get on.

I’m sure it will be really exciting to witness up close what he does well. All his brilliant decision-making. It’ll be a bit scary. I’m going to have to be on my toes, ready for anything and everything.

Playing against him will be a real privilege, but it will still be about winning the game. I respect him enormously, but I still want to beat him. I hope that having studied him so hard will at least put me in the position where I sort of know what he’s likely to do.

It’s weird. I worked out that I was only three years old when Cameron made his first-grade debut. But it gets weirder – I was only two when Paul Gallen made his and now I’m playing alongside him.

I try to bring that cool, calm and collected head in the middle of the field and just try to be smart, like Cameron. I know Jayden learned an awful lot from watching him as well.

It was the fact Jayden had progressed so well as a hooker through junior reps that gave me the confidence to jump into that position in the first place.

I was a bit nervous about it, but I thought if it suited Jayden so well it would probably suit me too. The more I played at hooker, the more I loved getting my hands on the ball so much. I won’t ever go back to the halves now.

Our little brother, Taj, is a hooker as well. He’s only 15 and in a development squad at the Sharks, so he’s showing promise.

He’s never had to go far for advice. My dad coached me for a decade in junior footy and we won the comp every year. Apart from Bronson we also had Kyle Flanagan in the side. Dad’s also coached junior reps and is now coaching the women’s team at the Sharks in the NSW comp.

Jayden and I are always there for Taj as well. I like to be that big brother for him because I know how good it feels to have a big brother always looking out for you.