A key part of their 2020 premiership success, Brandon Smith will have the chance to experience life outside of the Melbourne Storm system.

The Storm have given Smith the opportunity to pursue other options from 2022 – he is still contracted for the 2021 season.

Smith’s reasoning is reportedly that he wants to play exclusively at hooker; in years past, the Storm have used him in the forwards at prop and lock or off the bench.

Despite Smith’s wishes, Storm General Manager of Football Frank Ponissi praised all of Smith’s contributions.

“Brandon is a wonderful player and great person to have around the club,” said Storm General Manager Football, Frank Ponissi.

“We look forward to having Brandon back on the track on January 4 along with his teammates as they prepare for the 2021 season.”

Much like with Josh Addo-Carr, the Storm are not expecting to release Smith early, unless there is a player swap involved to ensure a move is mutually beneficial for both clubs.

“Given he is now a premiership player, national representative, and has been a valuable asset to our team over the last few years, any move will only be considered with appropriate arrangements put in place,” continued Ponissi.

“The Club has shown we are comfortable with negotiating these requests while also maintaining our performance on the field, given we were in the same position with Josh Addo-Carr only 12 months ago.

By ricky

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