Career Record for Featherstone
Appearances			Tries	Goals	Drop Goals	Points
Total	Start	Sub
374	347	27	114	1	0	344

It was in the mid-1960s that the Rovers first ventured into the Rossington junior area and made two signings - Harry Brown and Mick Smith. Brown's career was cut short by injury, but Mick Smith proved a gem and he served the club well. He was immediately thrust into the senior team in a daunting clash at Wigan on 31 October 1964. The eighteen-year-old youngster acquitted himself well and he only missed one game during the rest of the season, as well as scoring 10 tries. Signed as a stand-off, he occupied that position until 1969 when he fluctuated between wing and centre positions but when coach Peter Fox arrived, he settled him at centre. Smith had the pace and flair to suit any back position, but Fox reckoned that he was primarily a finisher rather than a playmaker, and centre it was.

In a remarkably consistent career, he featured in the Yorkshire Cup finals of 1966, 1969 and 1970 and the Captain Morgan Trophy final of 1974 (all defeats, sadly), and was one of three players to appear in the 1967, 1973 and 1974 Challenge Cup Finals and earn two winner's medals. He gained almost immediate television 'repeat' fame with the spectacular try he scored against Bradford in the 1973 final when his 'duck and dive' style, and his ability to side-step either way, were demonstrated to perfection as he beat five Bradford defenders to score under the posts.  He was always amongst the tries, as his career record of 115 illustrates. He topped the club try-scoring list in 1971/72 with 20, and in 1974/75, when he was given his testimonial for ten years' service, he registered two hat-tricks v Halifax in December 1974 and Widnes in April 1975. He scored many spectacular tries and none better than his effort against Bramley (at home) on 23 March 1966, when on his own '25', he slipped his opposing number 6, straightened out to beat the full-back and then held off a three-man pursuit. The pinnacle has, however, to be the home match v Doncaster on 13 April 1968, when from the stand-off position he scored six tries to shatter Jack Hirst's five tries in a match record which had stood since 1929 – an amazing feat, which has since been equalled by Chris Bibb in 1989, but surprisingly not by any player in the summer era.

Mick Smith was a classy player whose exciting pace made him elusive, whether he was accelerating from standing or setting off on one of his many long runs. He was always supporting and encouraging players. On 4 September 1976 he played full-back at Leeds in a 12-12 draw, his last game for the Rovers as he then transferred to Huddersfield for £500.

 

Biography by Ron Bailey