Newcastle Knights halfback Sandon Smith has become the spearhead of the club's Grand Final charge following a brilliant two-try performance in the Knights' preliminary showdown.
The Central Coast native came to the Knights with uncertainty about a starting spot, but with Dylan Brown's ACL injury opening an opportunity for him to show his worth, he's taken it with both hands.
It will mark a full-circle moment for Smith when he runs out against his former club, the Sydney Roosters, who, according to nine.com.au, wanted to stay in Bondi long term before the club opted to strengthen their halves with the mega-signing of Daly Cherry-Evans.
It left Smith with an opportunity to look elsewhere, but he can get some ultimate revenge on his old club on Sunday.
“Everyone pretty much knew that Daly [Cherry-Evans] was coming to the club and they already had Sam Walker and Hugo Savala,” his manager Gavin Orr told nine.com.au.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JULY 15: Sandon Smith of the Roosters passes the ball during the round 20 NRL match between Sydney Roosters and Melbourne Storm at Sydney Cricket Ground on July 15, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Jeremy Ng/Getty Images)
“We got told we were free to look around, and it came down to the Knights or the Cowboys. He decided on the Knights because he thought there was more opportunity to make the team, but he knew it would be tough.
“Dylan Brown was the club's marquee signing and Fletcher Sharpe had the five-eighth spot sewn up ... but with Dylan's injury he has played virtually the entire year and been a key man in getting the Knights to the grand final – against his old club – it's been an amazing season for him.”
Smith had a career-defining display against the Panthers in the chief playmaking role, engineering a famous win for the Hunter faithful.
Deciding to run the ball on last, Smith sparked a stunning try through the Knights' right edge for Dominic Young to cross right after the break.
He then popped up with a quick tap, catching Penrith defenders napping for a long-range try to bring them into the lead despite being down to 12 men.
Surprisingly, the long-range tries didn't stop there, and Smith caught an intercept in the dying moments of the match to run the length of the field and secure a Grand Final berth.
Smith can show the Roosters what they missed out on if he can replicate some of the magic he produced against the Penrith juggernaut.
He enjoyed three seasons at Moore Park with the Roosters, accumulating 46 NRL games before a switch up the motorway came knocking.
In a display of class, Smith holds no bitterness towards the tri-colours for letting him go.
“The Roosters were transparent with me. I've got no remorse toward the club,” Smith said following the preliminary final.
The Knights enter the NRL decider for the first time in 25 years, while the Roosters chase their first premiership since 2019.
