Two of the finest players in the George Tooke Shield Specsavers League Tag competition.
Harden’s Emma James with Top Try scorer, fellow Hawkette, Georgia Smith.
Latrell Mitchell has 18, Maika Sivo 17 and Reuben Garrick 16. But these 3 NRL players who top the NRL’s try scoring list and plenty more like them, don’t have anything on Harden’s try scoring machine Georgia Smith. The 23 year old took out the top try scoring award at the Canberra Rugby League Awards Night, held early last week.
Georgia has one match to play in the League Tag Grand Final for the 2019 season. She may yet add to her huge tally of 34 tries from 15 matches and she likely will.
Her first outing of the year saw the speedster score 6 tries against Gunning on April 6. In the 15 matches in 2019, only twice has she failed to reach the try line. On 2 occasions she has scored a brace, on 4 occasions a trifecta and on 2 occasions she has crossed the white line 4 times.
In 2018 Georgia scored 33 tries and the year before 18. Georgia like team mate Emma James, continues to excel in the League Tag Competition.
She came in 2nd place in the Best and Fairest count behind fellow team mate Emma James. She said, “It is a good feeling coming in second behind one of your team mates who really deserves it.”
Georgia has League Tag down to a fine art and is fluent at evading defenders. Not only can she find the line but she understands the nuances of being able to evade opposition players. When to move the hips and the tags away from defenders and how to hit a hole and glide through unscathed. She said, “You pay for it the next day with soreness in the back. But a lot of the tries come off the hard work the girls do, to put me through holes. We go into our games confidant and positive”
Georgia gave special thanks to Jason Pollard and Simon Doolan for their help over the last few seasons and to her sponsor Damian Kemp.
It is the 5th Grand Final in 5 years for Georgia and many of her team mates.
“We have had a consistent coach for the last 4 years and that has really helped.”
Georgie plays with her 2 sisters Clare (23) and Grace (19). The siblings are no slouches either, with Grace scoring 10 tries in 2019 while Clare has scored 12. This brings the Smith family’s total to 56 tries, an amazing achievement.
Pat Smith putting a Crookwell player on his back during the Hawks loss on Sunday at McLean Oval.
When younger brother Pat is placed in the mix with 5 tries in the 2019 season for First Grade the family total reaches 61.
Pat has been vital in the Hawk’s Backrow and is equally destructive in attack and defence. The 20 year old has been playing Lock for the Maroon and Whites and could hold down that position and lead the Hawks for the next 15 years or more.
