Former Brisbane Broncos dummy half Tyson Smoothy has confirmed his return to the NRL, signing a three-year deal with the Perth Bears.
Smoothy, now 27, debuted with the Melbourne Storm in 2021 and moved to the Brisbane Broncos in 2023 where he played 42 of his 46 NRL games to date.
At the end of 2025, with Brisbane having too many dummy halves in their squad, he made the move to England, joining Wakefield Trinity in 2026 on a three-year deal.
While that has now been cut short, the dummy half will finish the year in England before linking with Mal Meninga's side through to the end of 2029.
“I'd like to thank Daryl, Ste and the Wakefield club for releasing Tyson and allowing him to sign with the Perth Bears,” head coach Mal Meninga said of the signing.
“They are a proud club and the fact they let Tyson return home early shows how much they care about their players.
“I'm looking forward to working with Tyson when he returns home. He is a super talented player who has had success throughout his career.
“Our squad is starting to take shape and with the addition of Gehamat and Tyson, we now have four players in our squad who have tasted Premiership success over the last two seasons.”
The dummy half position had been an issue for the Bears up until now, with the club signing Tyran Wishart and Toby Sexton as their halves, while Jamie Humphreys backflipped on the club recently.
It had been floated that Wishart was signed as a hooker, but it now appears more likely he will take the number six jumper, although it's believed the Bears are keeping tabs on the situation regarding Adam Doueihi at the Wests Tigers.
Smoothy said he was thrilled to join the Bears.
“I would like to thank Daryl, Ste and all the staff and players at Wakefield for their understanding of my situation and the opportunity they have provided me to return to Australia,” Smoothy said.
“I'm focused on continuing to work hard for this great club and bring the Super League title to Wakefield.
“I am also excited about the opportunity to make history with the Perth Bears next season. The squad is taking shape, and it will be good to see a few familiar faces.”
Wakefield director of rugby Ste Mills said Smoothy had been fantastic in Wakefield.
“Tyson has made a fantastic contribution to the squad this season and while we would love to keep him at the club, we are conscious of family circumstances and his desire to return home to Australia,” Wakefield Trinity Director of Rugby Ste Mills said.
“Tyson's attitude and performance have been first class all year and the club is supportive of his decision.”
