BRADFORD Bulls prop Dan Smith has had easier years than 2024.
He admits the adjustment to part-time rugby league has been a little surreal, after being a professional since the age of 16, while he has also had to deal with a bad calf injury which has kept him out for most of the Betfred Championship season.
Smith is back now as Bulls hurtle towards the play-offs, but he insists this Sunday’s clash with Halifax Panthers is “just another game to him”, despite it being a typically ferocious derby, and where the result on this occasion could have huge ramifications at both ends of the table.
Discussing the past few months, Smith told the T&A: “It was really tough to deal with that injury in April.
“I had a shock at the start of the year when I transitioned into part-time rugby as I’d never really done it before.
“But I’d just found some form at the start of the season, then got injured at York before the warm-up.
“It was pretty tough, but I stayed positive, I’m back out playing now and hopefully I can keep building.”
Smith is in the groundworks industry now, a tough, labour-intensive job, and he admitted: “It’s been a shock to the system to be doing this alongside rugby league.
“I’d been full time since I was 16, so this is the first time I’ve ever had to train on the night after working during the day.
“It’s been tough to get into, because I’ve got a young family and I’m not really at home much because I’m working and playing rugby.
“But I’m still enjoying my rugby, and I feel like I’ve still got loads more to give to the game, so I’ll keep doing what I’m doing.”
Rugby league has had to take a back seat, at least on the training side of things, for much of the season though, a source of frustration for Smith.
He said: “It’s good to be back, because I’ve had a couple of setbacks with tearing my calf, which was worse than we first thought.
“I’m really happy to be back in contention to play and to be able to influence the team again.”
The 31-year-old still had an impact during his long absence, which barring 40 minutes against Whitehaven in June, lasted from late April until the end of August.
He said: “I’ve been trying to add my little bit into it and help the other lads out.
“But otherwise, I’ve just been cracking on with my rehab and now I’m back playing, hopefully I can have a big finish to the season.”
The next task on the agenda is to win at Halifax, where defeat for the hosts would leave them needing at least a point to guarantee survival on the final day next week.
It adds another layer of intrigue to this West Yorkshire derby, with Smith having played in plenty of those over his career for the likes of Huddersfield Giants and Castleford Tigers.
But the prop said: “It’s just another game to me really.
“Saying that, I know it’s a big derby and I love playing in them, because all the fans turn out, so I’ll be doing my best to win it for Bradford.”
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