Rugby league agent backs Wigan Warriors star Morgan Smithies for top six NRL club

When mentioning the Super League Young Player of the Year, St Helens star Jack Welsby, Leeds Rhinos forward Morgan Gannon and Hull KR livewire Mikey Lewis spring to mind.

But, one player that often fails to get mentioned in such conversations is Wigan Warriors star Morgan Smithies.

The forward regularly hits the most tackles in his stints on the field and has a competitiveness that is almost unrivalled in Super League.

Many have called for the 21-year-old to be included in Shaun Wane’s England squad for the upcoming World Cup, but his agent in particular has called for more recognition.

Craig Harrison, of Show Me The Money UK, believes that Smithies would fit right into the top six NRL sides who are all on the lookout for players in the mould of the Wigan man – especially since ‘cleaning’ up his act in recent months.

“Morgan, 15 months ago there was a little bit of grubbiness in his game and has he cleaned it up?” Harrison said on The Full Eighty Minutes podcast.

“Everyone loves Morgan now because what he’s done now is he’ll beat you at everything but he won’t go over that 10%. He gives you it hard but the verbals have stopped. I love what he does.

“How he doesn’t get mentioned for player of the year every year is beyond me.

“If you said to most clubs in the NRL who would you buy? The top six clubs would look at him. Someone who can play long minutes with that competitive edge and he has got that in abundance. He’s only 20.”

Smithies will likely be given a shot in the England Knights set-up before being called up by Wane for the first-team.