Harry Smith on Wigan Warriors’ Grand Slam, England call-up and Samoa expectations

England face Samoa in the first of a two-match Test series at the Brick Community Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Harry Smith is one of five players from Grand Slam winners Wigan Warriors named in England coach Shaun Wane’s squad for this autumn’s Test series against Samoa on home soil.

Love Rugby League was invited into the England camp earlier this week, speaking exclusively to Smith about his incredible year with Wigan in clubland as well as representing his country on the international stage.

Without further ado, let’s get into our Q&A with the England half-back…

Shaun Wane has selected a star-studded England squad for this autumn’s Test series…

“There’s a lot of talent and there’s a lot of lads who could have got in the team, so it’s exciting for me. My role within the team is to just get these players the ball and move them around if I do get to play so it almost makes my job a bit easier to have these players around me.”

Is England selection the cherry on top for you this year on the back of Wigan’s Grand Slam success?

“It’s been incredible and I’m very proud always to get picked for England. Hopefully I’ll get the chance to play but it’s the cherry on top because we’ve (Wigan) achieved everything we can achieve within this rugby calendar, so it’s been amazing.”

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Your performance in the Grand Final was pretty much on the money…

“It was alright… Bevan (French) just robbing the glory all the time! Nah, Bevan is incredible. I just think the 1-17, the whole starting front-row played big minutes, myself, Bev and the backs taking those tough carries. You’ve just got to do your bit in those games, you can’t try to do too much or too little, you’ve just got to do your job and hope your team-mates do that, and that’s why I think we managed to get the win in the end.”

With England playing Samoa at Wigan, it almost seems like the script is written for you!

“I know yeah. I’ve never really seen many internationals at Wigan so it will be incredible to try and put on a show, hopefully a lot of local Wigan fans can come down and any England fans that want to come down. Hopefully we can put on a great game and there’ll be two great teams going at it, and I’m sure there’ll be a lot going on that they can cheer for.”

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I guess you are relishing the prospect of coming up against the likes of Jarome Luai, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, etc…

“You want to play against the best players and test yourself, so to play against Jarome who is obviously one of the best half-backs in the world is going to be amazing to see where I’m at in my career. I just want to test myself, you want to play against these teams and this is why you play when you’re younger, you want to be on the big stage and show what you can do.”

You’ve achieved a lot in your career already but you’re still young, how does being in an England environment like this benefit you as a player?

“It’s brilliant. You’re just learning all the time. Playing with the best players, seeing things that they see, getting tips from them, you giving them tips… You are just always learning. We’ve got four incredible coaching staff as well – Briersy (Lee Briers), Lasty (Andy Last), Sam (Tomkins) and Waney (Shaun Wane) – you are just always learning.

“You come in off a great year and you think there can’t be much more to learn but there’s always something to learn. You always need to improve or you get left behind so that’s what I’ll be trying to do in training and during these games – learning and trying to do my bit.”

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Your Wigan team-mates Junior Nsemba and Liam Marshall could make their England debuts this autumn… Good recognition on the back of the year they’ve had?

“Credit to Junior, he doesn’t sit on what he’s doing, he’s always in asking me as his half-back about what he can do better and he is always into Tommy (Leuluai), Lockers (Sean O’Loughlin) and Matty (Peet) about what he can do better – and I think that showed.

“He didn’t do the same thing week in, week out, he was always developing and do the little things that people don’t see. There is a good future for Junior if he keeps his mentality of what he’s got, not just sitting on his morals and constantly wanting to learn. That’s what we push at Wigan, you’ve always got to be learning and you’ve got to be coming into training wanting to get better so I think that will help Junior develop his career as a young player and everyone at Wigan.

“I am proud of Marshy with the year he’s had with his family issues that went on at the start of the year and with the year that he’s had, he was one of our best players. He does a lot of unseen hard yardage carries which people don’t see – people just see him as the top try scorer – but the stuff he does off the ball and down in our own end has been brilliant. I’m just proud of him and want to able to play with him and get a win for him which he deserves.”

You have achieved a lot in your career already but are still only 24, so how important have the Wigan coaches been in your development?

“We are in a really good place on and off the field at Wigan. We’ve got a great owner (Mike Danson), great CEO (Kris Radlinski), great coaches (Peet, Leuluai, O’Loughlin) and a great team. There’s a good culture there, it’s all really positive at the minute so it’s on us to keep that and keep pushing those standards.

“Credit to everyone, I don’t just think we’ve won four trophies because of 17 good players, there’s so much more that goes into the club and I think that just shows with us being able to do it (the Grand Slam) and it’s just brilliant to be at the club at this moment in time.”

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You recently became a dad, how is fatherhood treating you?

“Yep, five weeks old, it’s been amazing. It’s been good, I’m learning a lot but it’s been incredible. Touch wood he keeps sleeping for us but it’s just good to come home to him. I’ve really enjoyed it, hopefully he can come along to the games and it’ll be special for me.

“We’ve just ordered a kit for him so hopefully that comes in time but, if not, I’m sure he can wear his Wigan one! He came to our semi-final against Leigh so I think my missus will bring him along to this one and it’ll be special to have him there. It’s an occasion for me but he won’t really have any idea about what’s going on!

“The house has been manic. Every day we’ve got people coming around to see us, to see him, so it’s been brilliant, seeing a lot of people you don’t see all the time, coming from all over. I’ve got family in Wales and my missus has family from all over the country so it’s been really good. It’s been a manic six weeks with the semi-finals and the Grand Final and then what’s going on off the pitch but I wouldn’t have it any other way really, it’s been brilliant.”

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