TITANS lock Tino Fa’asuamaleaui said his former Melbourne roommate Brandon Smith is “changing his mind” daily about his NRL future amid reports the hooker has committed to the Sydney Roosters.
Smith has confirmed to the Storm that 2022 will be his final year in Melbourne but has not announced publicly which club he will join from 2023.
Multiple reports suggest that Smith has agreed to terms with the Roosters, following a controversial podcast appearance in which the 25-year-old pledged he would love to win a premiership in the tricolour’s jersey.
Until Fa’asuamaleaui hears that from Smith or the Roosters he is not buying it.
“Has he signed it officially?” the Titan teased.
“It’s hard to believe what’s happening. He’s changing his mind every day and he’s got some things to weigh up for him and his family.
“It’s the same situation as me, he’ll sit down and talk to his family and then once the official news comes out that’s when I’ll send him a message and say ‘congrats, bro.’”
Fa’asuamaleaui can empathise with the public nature of Smith’s free agency, which has transformed into the NRL’s biggest off-season’s story.
Fa’asuamaleaui signed his $3.3 million, four-year extension with the Titans in November under an intense media spotlight of his own as the Dolphins entered a bidding war for his future.
“You don’t think it (the contract decision) is massive then when you sit down you realise how big it is and how much it plays on your mind,” he said.
“It’s really stressful and I’m glad mine is done.
“You can only imagine what Brandon has been going through and what he’s been reading.”
For their part, the Titans recruitment and retention committee has put a line through Smith as a potential recruit.
“We get on with our job,” chief executive Steve Mitchell said in the days after Smith’s podcast appearance.
“We know what the composition of our squad looks like through to 2025 ... so we’re very excited about the squad that we’ve currently got.”
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Nothing article really. Clearly he's told the club he's not coming to the Titans with Mitchell's comments