Harley Smith-Shields' rise from Gungahlin Bulls to Canberra Raiders NRL debut

It was the beautiful footwork that left defenders clutching at thin air, the poise, the try that damn near lifted the roof off the Gungahlin Enclosed Oval grandstand. Oh, and the fact he was the youngest of three brothers playing first grade for the Gungahlin Bulls that day.

"He was only a young bloke then, but from that day he definitely had a mark on him," Bulls president O'Sullivan said.

"I've kept an eye on him since then, I've gone out and watched some of the junior Raiders reps, and saw him play for Mounties last year in Sydney, and he cut them up as well. He's going great."

So they'll be waiting around Canberra's north for Ricky Stuart to give Smith-Shields the nod to come off the bench against the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Canberra Stadium on Saturday night.

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The centre becomes Gungahlin's newest NRL player, following a path paved in recent years by the likes of Paul Vaughan and Mark Nicholls - an opponent this week.

Even St George Illawarra flyer Mikaele Ravalawa had a stint in Bulls colours. So what to make of Smith-Shields? Is this 20-year-old going to rise to the occasion?

"Mate, he will," O'Sullivan said. "Most definitely, he's a good confident player and I think he'll take it in his stride."

Just like he did on that day in 2017 when he took the Canberra Raiders Cup by storm alongside his two older brothers Dale and Jese.

Smith-Shields was a North Canberra junior before linking up with the Bulls, and his impact on the club cannot be understated.

It's why so many people from Gungahlin - from juniors, to seniors, to trainers, to Simon Woolford and the president - wished him well in a video the Raiders put together this week.

But the two faces that drew the biggest reaction? Those of his brothers. Family is the reason why emotions almost got the better of Smith-Shields at the end of the video.

"We were hoping one day we would be able to play together but we didn't know if it would ever happen," Smith-Shields told The Canberra Times earlier this year.

"It was unreal. My old man [Braden] was actually over in Europe, he didn't know it was going to happen and it just worked out the way it did.

"I finished the SG Ball season and you're supposed to go back and play for your club. I was supposed to be playing 18s but I was brought up into first grade that week and we didn't know it was going to happen.

"I was on the phone to dad and he was going to miss it, the first time the three boys have ever played together, he was fuming. He had the live stream going and he was loving it.

"It was actually surreal. There was a point in the game when I looked up and Dale was playing hooker. I was playing centre so I came around for the next carry and I had Jese outside me playing back-row, I just can't describe it.

"We'd always wanted to play together since we were young kids and we didn't think it would happen but we got the opportunity and it was mad."

Two pre-seasons and an NRL Nines appearance with the Raiders' top squad have fuelled the fire in recent months for Smith-Shields.

Not even a coronavirus-induced competition shutdown would derail his dream of an NRL debut this year, leaning on the likes of Jarrod Croker, Bailey Simonsson, Nick Cotric, and Curtis Scott.

Raiders coach Stuart says you can tell when a young player is going to make it soon after they get that first taste of life in the elite level, when a rapid improvement is fuelled by a thirst for more.

So he is perhaps as eager as anyone to see Smith-Shields debut as he waits for the right moment to send him into the fray.

"Hopefully it's not [because of] an injury, but I'll do everything I can to get him on and get some time," Stuart said.

"It's what we can actually give him [rather than what he can give us]. What we can give him by getting him on is the experience of understanding what NRL is all about.

"The speed of the game, the collision, the intensity of the match is really important for young players to get that feeling of what it's really like. One thing is to train against NRL players, but the game itself is a scenario they all want to be in.

"He is an exciting prospect."

NRL ROUND 11

Saturday: Canberra Raiders v South Sydney Rabbitohs at Canberra Stadium, 7.35pm.

Raiders squad: 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2. Nick Cotric, 3. Jarrod Croker (c), 4. Jordan Rapana, 5. Semi Valemei, 6. Jack Wighton, 7. George Williams, 8. Josh Papalii, 9. Siliva Havili, 10. Dunamis Lui, 11. Hudson Young, 12. Elliott Whitehead,13. Kai O'Donnell. Interchange: 14. Tom Starling, 15. Joe Tapine, 16. Ryan Sutton, 17. Harley Smith-Shields. Reserves: 18. Sam Williams, 19. Darby Medlyn, 20. Matt Frawley, 21. John Bateman.

Rabbitohs squad: 1. Alex Johnston, 2. Corey Allan, 3. Campbell Graham, 4. Dane Gagai, 5. Jaxson Paulo, 6. Cody Walker, 7. Adam Reynolds, 8. Tevita Tatola, 9. Damien Cook, 10. Thomas Burgess, 11. Jaydn Su'A, 12. Bayley Sironen, 13. Cameron Murray. Interchange: 14. Mark Nicholls, 15. Hame Sele, 16. Patrick Mago, 17. Jack Johns. Reserves: 18. Kurt Dillon, 19. Keaon Koloamatangi, 20. Troy Dargan, 21. Steven Marsters.