Storm win race for potential Smith successor

3 years ago 389

Melbourne Storm are resigned to losing Brandon Smith for 2023.

The Storm are each but resigned to losing Kiwi superstar Brandon Smith successful 2023 - but whitethorn person recovered different New Zealander to regenerate him.

Stanley Iongi, an 18-year-old from Auckland, is rated 1 of the champion young hooker/dummy halves successful New Zealand.

Iongi was chased by fractional a twelve NRL sides but has decided to motion with the Storm.

The teenager, who has been successful the Warriors' strategy for the past 3 years, volition statesman his apprenticeship with the Storm's feeder squad Brisbane Tigers (formerly Easts Tigers) successful 2022.

Iongi represented the Kiwis astatine nether 16 level a mates of years agone and has attracted the oculus of NRL endowment scouts since then, excelling successful the inferior grades.

He plays a akin benignant to Smith, with a dynamic burst of velocity retired of dummy fractional and the quality to besides play lock.

Smith, meanwhile, is attracting monolithic offers from the likes of the Roosters, Titans and Bulldogs and is expected to marque a determination connected his aboriginal successful coming weeks.

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