Playing Career
Vital Statistics
- Full Name
- Billy John Smith
- Born
- Sunday, 12th July, 1942
- Current Age
- 81 years and 330 days
- Place Of Birth
- Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia
Awards & Accolades
- Harry Sunderland Medal
- 1966, 1967
- National Rugby League Hall Of Fame
- 2008
- NSWRL Hall Of Fame
- 2021
Biography
Despite playing in the centres in St George's 1963-65 grand final wins, Billy Smith became one of the most talented and tenacious halfbacks in post-war rugby league. A St George junior, Smith was graded as a centre (he made one appearance in 1961 against Manly) before cementing a place in first grade in 1963. Dragons’ captain-coach Norm Provan moved Smith to halfback the following year and the diminutive tackler with blistering pace made his debut for NSW and Australia (against France). Twice-winner of the Harry Sunderland Medal for best Australian player in an Ashes series, he tempered his brilliant skills with a dash of rashness on and off the field. Smith played Tests against France (1964), NZ (1965 and 1967) and Great Britain (1966) before touring with the 1967-68 Kangaroos. After captaining NSW in 1967, the formidable halfback played in five of the six Tests on tour and savoured victory with Australia's World Cup team the following year. A smashed jaw in 1969 saw him miss most of the season's rep matches, but in the following year he played in two Tests against Great Britain and was named vice-captain of Australia's World Cup team. Smith captained Australia in the opening match against Great Britain (an 11-4 loss) and his toughness was an integral part of Australia's subsequent win in the final. While he did not play for Australia again, his club form in the early 1970s never wavered. His partnership with Graeme Langlands after the club's last grand final success (1966) will be remembered as one of the finest the game has seen. The two champions had an intuitive knowledge of what the other was about to do, but despite their efforts St George was beaten in the 1971 and 1975 grand finals. (Smith had one late taste of success in 1972 when he returned from injury and played in the club's premiership-winning Third Grade team). Smith finished his career in reserve grade in 1977 but not before passing Norm Provan's club record for grade games (296 games). He later coached lower grades with Cronulla with some notoriety.
- ALAN WHITICKER
Playing Career Statistics
All statistics shown in this section are based only on data available in the RLP database, and are not necessarily a complete and/or 100% accurate representation of a player's career. This information should be used as a guide only. If you see a question mark (?), it denotes that the figure is not available.
To view a list of corresponding matches, click on the List button.
Competitions | ||||||||||||||
Competition | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) | 234 | 30 | 3 | 44 | 161 | 156 | 70 | 8 | 66.67% | List | ||||
Tour Matches | St George Dragons | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
NSWRFL Finals | 24 | 2 | - | 4 | 10 | 13 | 10 | 1 | 54.17% | List | ||||
Preseason Cup | 48 | 10 | - | 4 | 34 | 37 | 10 | 1 | 77.08% | List | ||||
Tour Matches | Sydney Firsts | 2 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.00% | List | |||
Interstate Matches | 16 | 1 | 1 | - | 5 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 81.25% | List | ||||
Tour Matches | Australia | 27 | 5 | - | 3 | 21 | 20 | 6 | 1 | 74.07% | List | |||
Test Series | 18 | - | - | - | - | 11 | 6 | 1 | 61.11% | List | ||||
City vs Country Firsts | 5 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
Tour Matches | New South Wales Firsts | 2 | - | - | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.00% | List | |||
The Ashes | 7 | - | - | - | - | 4 | 3 | 0 | 57.14% | List | ||||
World Cup | 8 | 3 | - | 3 | 15 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 75.00% | List | ||||
Midweek Cup | 6 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 66.67% | List | ||||
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Test Matches - By Team | ||||||||||||||
Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
Australia | 1964-68, 1970 | 27 | 3 | - | 3 | 15 | 18 | 8 | 1 | 66.67% | List | |||
World Cup Matches - By Team | ||||||||||||||
Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
Australia | 1964-1970 | 8 | 3 | - | 3 | 15 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 75.00% | List | |||
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Australia - By Team | ||||||||||||||
Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
Sydney Firsts | 1964, 1966 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.00% | List | |||
NSW City Seconds | 1964, 1969, 1973 | 3 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.67% | List | |||
NSW Firsts | 1964-71, 1973 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 78.95% | List | |||
NSW City Firsts | 1965-66, 1968, 1970, 1973 | 5 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
Overall | 1964-1973 | 29 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 23 | 4 | 2 | 79.31% | List | |||
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NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) - By Year | ||||||||||||||
Team | Season | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
St George | NSWRFL 1961 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
St George | NSWRFL 1963 | 17 | 4 | - | - | 12 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 82.35% | List | |||
St George | NSWRFL 1964 | 15 | 5 | - | - | 15 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 86.67% | List | |||
St George | NSWRFL 1965 | 15 | 5 | - | - | 15 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 86.67% | List | |||
St George | NSWRFL 1966 | 15 | 4 | - | - | 12 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 73.33% | List | |||
St George | NSWRFL 1967 | 17 | 3 | - | 3 | 15 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 64.71% | List | |||
St George | NSWRFL 1968 | 19 | 1 | - | 10 | 23 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 57.89% | List | |||
St George | NSWRFL 1969 | 17 | - | - | 2 | 4 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 64.71% | List | |||
St George | NSWRFL 1970 | 19 | 1 | - | 6 | 15 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 68.42% | List | |||
St George | NSWRFL 1971 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 22 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 61.54% | List | |||
St George | NSWRFL 1972 | 11 | 1 | - | 2 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 72.73% | List | |||
St George | NSWRFL 1973 | 23 | 2 | - | 8 | 14 | 13 | 9 | 1 | 56.52% | List | |||
St George | NSWRFL 1974 | 17 | - | - | 3 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 47.06% | List | |||
St George | NSWRFL 1975 | 21 | - | - | 1 | 1 | 14 | 6 | 1 | 66.67% | List | |||
St George | NSWRFL 1976 | 13 | 1 | - | 2 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 46.15% | List | |||
St George | NSWRFL 1977 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) - By Team | ||||||||||||||
Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
St George | 1961, 1963-77 | 234 | 30 | 3 | 44 | 161 | 156 | 70 | 8 | 66.67% | List |
Contributions:
Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson, Max Turner, Greg Fiveash, Rugby League Tables, Alan Katzmann, Paul Carter, Michael Borg, Bill Bates, AJ Lucantonio
Your Say
02/04/2016
Pound for pound, no better player than Bill.
26/04/2019
One of the great halfbacks from any era.
Tough and resilient also a brilliant attacking player.
23/02/2023
A wonderfully talented halfback fast, tough, resourceful, great attacker and defender.
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