'We've Just Got To Keep Winning': Roosters Inspired By Brave Billy

Shocked Roosters team-mates have vowed to continue their winning run so Billy Smith can return in the grand final after learning that he had played 38 minutes of last Saturday night’s elimination final with a broken jaw.

Smith joins star backs Joey Manu and Joey Suaali’i on the casualty list for Friday night’s finals clash with Melbourne after x-rays revealed he had fractured his jaw in a high shot by Sharks prop Tom Hazelton.

However, the 23-year-old may be available for the grand final if the Roosters are in it.

“It is not ideal, he obviously wants to play, but he will be alright,” England lock Victor Radley said. “We have just got to keep winning and maybe in a couple of weeks time he will be back.”

Roosters players were only told of Smith’s injury on Monday as they finished a review of their 13-12 defeat of the Sharks, in which they overcame the loss of Suaali'i and Manu, along with the sin-binning of captain James Tedesco, to snatch victory.

The rookie centre has only played 27 NRL matches since his debut in 2019 after a horror run of injuries but he has shown in his 15 appearances this season why he is so highly rated at the Roosters.

“He has got to be tough to go through what he has and still be here,” Tedesco said. “He still took hit ups and still took those play one [runs] and made some good tackles as well.

"There was no complaining from him, no ‘I want to come off, I am not feeling great’. That just shows his mentality but I think it is also the mentality of the team. We are just doing whatever it takes to get the job done.

We had guys playing out of position, young guys doing different things and playing long minutes, but for Billy to be able to play with a broken jaw is unbelievable.

“It’s disappointing he won’t be with us on Friday night because he has been one of the form centres and he is going to keep getting better and better. It is just a little setback for him, but he has definitely had worse injuries - and worse recoveries.”

Tedesco revealed that Smith, who has undergone surgery, had made lifestyle changes to give himself the best chance of becoming a regular NRL player after his run of injuries, which included rupturing his ACL before the start of last season.

“This year he made a decision that he was going to stay off the drink, his diet is real strict and he has been doing a lot of breathing and mental work,” Tedesco said.

“He thought at the end of last year - after going through his third ACL, and he has had shoulder and Lisfranc [injuries], as well – ‘I am just going to give myself every chance to get on the field every week and to be the best player I can be’.

“He has stuck to that all year, and I think that is a real credit to him. He has definitely got the potential to be one of the best centres in the game.”

Hooker Brandon Smith was stunned when told about Smith’s injury by reporters at the club’s media session on Monday afternoon.

“I didn’t even know that he was out,” Smith said. “I remember doing my jaw against Parramatta and there was no chance I could have played on. It was hanging out the bottom of my double chin. Hopefully he is alright.”

Smith noted that his namesake had also managed to convert Siua Wong’s 68th minute try that levelled the scores at 12-12 in the absence of Suaali’i and with halfback Sam Walker unable to take the kick due to an ankle injury.

“I wasn’t backing him, to be honest. I was a little bit nervous, but he got the job done,” Smith said.

“I am genuinely surprised. He wasn’t acting like I was when I broke my jaw so hopefully it’s not too bad, but gee, we copped some injuries, didn’t we.”

Radley added: “Now we know that he did that with a broken jaw too. I don’t think anyone else was putting their hand up, so he just said, ‘give it here’, and he kicked it. Good on him. He is a winner”.