Former Wigan Warriors Rugby League Star Morgan Smithies Planning to Stay in Australia
In a newly-released interview, former Wigan Warriors rugby league star Morgan Smithies has revealed that he’s planning on staying in Australia after making the move to the NRL’s Canberra Raiders. The 23-year-old made his Super League debut for Wigan back in 2019 and went on to win the 2022 Challenge Cup and the 2023 Rugby League Super League Grand Final with the club.
Smithies, an England international rugby league player, set a Super League record in 2019 when he made 72 tackles in a single game at just 18 years old. After the conclusion of the 2023 rugby league season, the forward decided to take his talents to the NRL, signing a three-year deal with the Canberra Raiders.
Speaking to The Mirror, Smithies expressed his enjoyment of the rugby league style of play in Australia, stating:
“I’m loving it. I knew it’d take a few games to get into the swing of things. But I like the style of play here: it’s more like a grind, which is my type of game.”
The rugby league star also noted that the reduced media coverage in Canberra compared to other NRL clubs has allowed him to simply focus on his rugby league performance week-in and week-out. “There’s not too much media coverage over here (in Canberra compared to the rest of the NRL) so I feel it’s perfect for someone like me who just wants to focus on playing week in week out and concentrate on rugby,” Smithies explained.
While Smithies remains in contention for a starting role with the England rugby league national team, he emphasized that his primary focus is on establishing himself with the Canberin Raiders in the highly competitive NRL competition. “There is a lot of competition isn’t there? But my main focus is playing well for Raiders and getting that first season under my belt,” he stated.
Overall, the former Wigan Warriors standout seems content with his decision to continue his rugby league career in Australia, with the prospect of potentially extending his stay with the Canberra Raiders beyond his initial three-year contract.
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