News Bulldogs winger Reimis Smith wants a centre spot in NRL season 2020

Spoonman84

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One taste of NRL football at centre was enough for Canterbury winger Reimis Smith to want to make the move a permanent one next season.

And he has Matt Shirvington on his side with the former Australian sprint champion helping Smith hone his natural ability, saying the 22-year-old “can be anything” thanks to his natural athleticism.

Smith said he approached Bulldogs coach Dean Pay before the start of the pre-season to tell him about his goal to win a starting centre spot next year.

“I said to him ‘I'd love the challenge of being able to push one in’ … I’ve been dipping my toe in and Deano [Pay] has been giving me a go at training but I’ll be pushing hard for a spot there,” Smith said.

“I’ll be happy with whatever Deano decides. For me it’s the team first and foremost. I don’t mind it out on the wing, you get to score tries but in saying that I would love to play in the centres.”

Smith finished the season as the club’s leading try scorer with 12 tries out on the right edge, an impressive tally in a team that struggled in attack. Smith, the son of former New Zealand international Tyran Smith, has scored 21 tries from 35 games.

A knee injury to fullback Dallin Watene-Zelezniak in round 25 this year opened up a chance for Smith to play at centre.

Smith scored a try in an upset win over Brisbane with the experience whetting his appetite to be closer to the action and to have a bigger role in Canterbury’s attack.

“I want to keep evolving, players can’t just have that one position they play. For me, I like to evolve my game … I’m very competitive. Pushing one in is a bigger challenge but I also want to be closer to the action, I’d like to get earlier ball and not just be finishing off on the wing. I want to help create opportunities and I back myself in being able to do that,” Smith said.

Smith’s centre ambitions will see him battle it out with teammates Morgan Harper, Kerrod Holland and Will Hopoate over the course of the pre-season.

To help convince coach Pay he deserves a shot in the centres at NRL level, Smith, who stands at 196cm, has been working on his speed and explosiveness.

Shirvington said Smith was a hard worker.

“I know he does work outside of the club in the off-season working his agility and speed,’’ Shirvington said. “The hard thing for the taller guys like Reimis is gaining that explosive co-ordination. But he has done such a good job at getting the most out of his body,” Shirvington said.

“It’s all about power transfer, if you have the strength to push and you can connect that to the ground you can be fast … Fast in take-off, fast in changing direction or turning around, picking a ball off the ground and taking off through the line.

“And he has all the right attributes … height, strength and now he’s got the agility to back it up. He can be anything. The sky’s the limit for him.”

The specialised sprint training is having the desired effect. Smith said he feels as fast as he has ever been even after suffering a serious leg break in 2016.

“I had a few injuries and that stunted my speed but now I’m starting to get my legs back again. I feel like I’m getting quicker, faster off the mark and I feel like I’m starting to get to the speed I was before, maybe even better,” he said.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...0/news-story/dfdfc52e21c913883144ad0fd2b3902c
 

Moedogg

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He's a good finisher. Should stay on the wing.
 

Sword

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Needs to learn to tackle regularly before thinking of moving ‘one in’
 

Spoonman84

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He's a good finisher. Should stay on the wing.
I agree he has all the ingredients to be one of the best wingers in the game. I’d rather the coaching staff focus on fine tuning his wing play then start again in the centres.
 

DinkumDog

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Part of his desire to move in was likely that in the first half of 2019 he barely saw any ball. That started to change at the back of the season. One concern I’d have with him potentially coming off the wing is Okunbor - not yet sold on him as a regular first grader. Happy with Meaney on the other wing to see how he continues to develop in 2020.
 

Shire Dog

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At times I think he is a bit wasted sitting out on the wing
Might be alright with more ball in his hands but just a wild hunch.
Deano will figure it all out in good time,I’m no expert
 

doggieaaron

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If okunbor plays consistently he could be good at centre but i agree needs to be more comitted in d at centre
 

Kempsey Dog

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Great so we are going to have a winger playing fullback and a winger playing centre...
 

coach

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Part of his desire to move in was likely that in the first half of 2019 he barely saw any ball. That started to change at the back of the season. One concern I’d have with him potentially coming off the wing is Okunbor - not yet sold on him as a regular first grader. Happy with Meaney on the other wing to see how he continues to develop in 2020.
I see your point with okunbor
But would you say okunbor is a better winger than holland or montoya are centres?
This is how I’m thinking of it
Other option averillo but prolly a good season off nrl
Still not sold on Harper yet
 

Kempsey Dog

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Give him a go.. We need a centre and we might get one.
Schoupp, Averillo, Harper. Our wing depth is limited, Smith needs to stay where he is
 

Snake

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If Remis trains strongly in the centres he absolutely deserves a crack. It will only make him a more rounded player. I’m excited to see what he brings next season.

1. DWZ
2. Meaney
3. Hoppa
4. Smith
5. Oku

That’s a backline that brings a range of different skills to the table
 

DinkumDog

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I see your point with okunbor
But would you say okunbor is a better winger than holland or montoya are centres?
Best of a bad bunch. I don’t really rate any of them. That’s why I was thinking I’d like to see how Harper goes at centre, so Harper/Hoppa centres and Reimis/Meaney wing.
 

Howard Moon

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Probably already mentioned, but Smith in the centres brings Okunbor into the top squad full time... I thought Jayden improved heaps this year, especially his handling and efforts under the high ball
 

LordSidious66

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Part of his desire to move in was likely that in the first half of 2019 he barely saw any ball. That started to change at the back of the season. One concern I’d have with him potentially coming off the wing is Okunbor - not yet sold on him as a regular first grader. Happy with Meaney on the other wing to see how he continues to develop in 2020.
I agree. Okunbur seems to screw up our attacking opportunities on a regular basis and his defensive decisions are suspect.
 

doggieaaron

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Probably already mentioned, but Smith in the centres brings Okunbor into the top squad full time... I thought Jayden improved heaps this year, especially his handling and efforts under the high ball
Agreed he cops lots of stick on here but he hardly played a bad game in firsts and gets around 200m every game
 

Howard Moon

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Agreed he cops lots of stick on here but he hardly played a bad game in firsts and gets around 200m every game

that's it... he had a few quiet games where teams just ran all their defence at him, but he came back strong at the end of the season.. I think it would be a good choice because we need a decent centre and I personally am keen to see Nick Meaney remain in the top squad
 
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