The heartfelt ‘promise’, message from ‘idol’ and cricket crossroads that unearthed rising Eels star

Almost every player has a ‘welcome to the NRL’ moment.

For Ryley Smith, it wasn’t copping a big hit or a veteran enforcer putting a target on his back, it was a message from fellow hooker, and arguably rugby league’s best, Harry Grant.

“Harry just sort of said, ‘Really good debut, I’m sure I’ll be playing you a lot more in years to come’,” Smith said to foxsports.com.au.

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The 22-year-old will never forget that moment, which capped off a monumental rise for the all-effort hooker who had only played four NSW Cup games prior to that clash.

“That was a pretty cool moment for me, especially after a debut... he’s proven on the big stage and he’s one of my idols, someone I look up to,” Smith said.

“To share the field with him, it was a pretty special moment for me. A lot of players have given me some really good words of wisdom.”

Rewind 72 hours to Smith’s jersey presentation, with his family on hand to celebrate his achievement and a huge reward after impressing rookie coach Jason Ryles in pre-season.

Smith’s Dad, Wayne, read out a Christmas card the young gun wrote — which foreshadowed the events that have seen him emerge as a key member of the Eels’ spine.

“Dad, I struggle to even put into words how much you mean to me. I couldn’t look for a better Dad or a better best mate, everything I do for you is to make you so proud,” he said, reading from the card.

“I hope that one day I will be as half as good a Dad as you are. And I tell you one thing Dad, I promise I will make it.”

Holding back tears in front of the Parramatta squad and coaching staff, he then added: “And you did.”

Ryley Smith passes the ball for Parramatta. Source: Getty Images

So how did the young gun find himself an integral figure in the Eels spine?

Smith’s debut marked a whirlwind rise, spending time largely in Jersey Flegg in 2024 after making the cross-town move from the Panthers.

As Ryles arrived at Parramatta, he wiped the slate clean which opened the door for Smith to impress the rookie coach.

“To the whole squad, he said, ‘Anyone is up for any spot’. He said, ‘By Round 1, I’ll be picking the team I think will do best on the park’,” Smith explained.

“He sort of said whoever works the hardest and whoever wants it the most will get that spot.

“I was on a train and trial contract and I couldn’t play NRL until Round 10, and that was sort of in the back of my mind,

“I wasn’t even really thinking about playing NRL, it was more just locking down that NSW Cup spot. I knew there was some really good hookers to compete with just in NSW Cup.

“I just thought, if I can put all my eggs in one basket and put my head down, anything was possible, especially with the new coaching roster.”

Then the young gun earnt a development contract, opening another door towards an NRL debut which came against Melbourne, but not before a “funny” interaction with Ryles.

“Obviously him being a rookie coach, he probably wouldn’t have handed out any debuts,” Smith said.

Ryley Smith of the Eels tackles Jahream Bula of the Wests Tigers. Source: Getty Images

Ryley Smith as a young Penrith playmaker. Picture: NRL Imagery Source: Supplied

“Obviously him being a rookie coach, he probably wouldn’t have handed out any debuts,” Smith said.

“He sort of just came up to me and said, ‘Mate, you’re playing this week’. I was just like, ‘What?’. It was pretty funny, it was very casual.

“We got to the ground and he said, ‘Mate, you’re going to go on before half-time and play the rest of the game’. I was like, ‘Oh, alrighty’.

“I played more minutes in that Round 1 NRL game than I ever have in all of my NSW Cup games, so it was definitely eye-opening.

“It’s just been a blur the first eight weeks... you can’t really put it into words because it has just happened so fast.

“Now, Magic Round coming up, I get to play in front of a packed out Suncorp Stadium so that’s going to be ridiculous. I can’t even wrap my head around it yet.”

Smith’s debut surprised many after he stayed on the field for 53 minutes.

A 55-minute display followed against the Tigers as the young gun continued to embed himself into this side.

Smith is an energetic figure, full of energy which immediately endeared him to the Eels fan base before he delivered his first 80 minute performance against the Tigers in Round 7.

He made 33 tackles, touched the ball 69 more times than Mitchell Moses and was front and centre in a huge moment that saw Jahream Bula dragged out of the field.

A melee ensued and two players were sent to the sin bin, with Smith explaining that period was the toughest he has experienced in his short NRL career.

“Being able to get 80 for the first time and to get through it really well and have a good win was something I will never forget,” he said.

“It was definitely tough, especially when we went down to 11 men, the lungs were hurting a little bit but the crowd and the occasion, and having Mitch (Moses) back.

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“It was something I will never forget... and hopefully the start of a run of wins and bit of momentum we can take for the rest of the season.”

The tackle on Bula, meanwhile, was all about inspiring his team.

“It was a big moment in the game and I’m a very passionate player... (I was) just trying to lift my team and I felt like that was a big moment,” Smith explained.

“I’ve learned very quickly that NRL games are full of moments, winning those little moments.

“If that happens to your team, it is losing that moment. That’s the battle of the NRL.”

While Smith is now proving his rugby league talent, the rising star has long been touted as a professional athlete — but in two different sports.

He was the first to play Australian Schoolboys rugby league and cricket since Bronko Djura in the 1980s, who went on to played 96 games of first grade.

But, in another universe, Smith may never have chased his NRL dream.

“It was very tough (to make the decision), because I feel like cricket was something that I loved and still absolutely love it now,” he said.

“I’m still around all the cricket boys, I speak to them weekly... it was definitely hard. I feel like it was a different environment, footy to cricket.

“Footy was just the one I enjoyed more. I had to sit on it for a while and I tried to play both for a bit too long and I felt like footy was best for me at the time.”

Talented former St Dominic's College hooker Ryley Smith was chased by Cricket NSW and the Penrith Panthers as a schoolboy. Source: News Corp Australia

Ryley Smith on the cricket field for Penrith. Source: News Corp Australia

That decision has proved fruitful, landing in an Eels team that had a mountain of uncertainty regarding their hooker position in 2024, with Brendan Hands and Joey Lussick sharing duties.

In a rebuilding period, Parramatta have struggled to yield the results Ryles has been looking for with only two wins on the board in seven games.

However, Smith threw his full support behind his rookie coach, who is still finding his feet in the NRL — much like his young No.9.

“He has copped a little bit, which I feel like once you get to the big stage, that just happens. We do our best to block out the noise,” Smith said.

“But he’s been absolutely outstanding. He’s been someone who is always positive for us, always finding ways to improve the team and individually.

“He has equal time for you whether you’re playing NRL or you’re not, he has time for you. I absolutely love being coached by him, he’s been very supportive of me and my family.

“He has made my journey very easy coming into the team.”

Away from the field, Smith has a desire to give back to the fans and those that look up to him, with a video of him giving advice to two kids going viral.

“I say to a lot of kids, I feel like if you’re always putting in 100 per cent effort and your effort areas are through the roof, you will always have a decent game,” he said.

“It’s something I’ve always tried to do myself and it’s just really good to give back to the fans, because at the end of the day, they’re the ones that are watching.

“They’re the ones that look up to us and being able to interact with them and interact with kids... it’s something that’s pretty cool.”

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