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Wednesday, 22 May, 2002, 15:35 GMT 16:35 UK
Smith plays down Great Britain talk
BBC Sport's Dave Woods

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Don't mention to Tony Smith about playing for Great Britain this summer.

He does not want to talk about it.

The Hull scrum-half marked his return to fitness after battling with injuries for almost 12 months when he scored twice in his side's win over Widnes last week.

The immediate call from some quarters was: "Smith for Great Britain."

But the likeable former Castleford and Wigan half-back insists: " I've not even got one eye on Great Britain to be honest.

Hull's Tony Smith
Smith is concentrating on playing well for Hull

"I've had four appearances from the bench, playing for 30 minutes, before the game against Widnes, and all I'm concentrating on now is getting back to full fitness and playing well for Hull."

Smith struggled through last season with a combination of wrist and ankle injuries.

Despite those problems he remained one of the competition's form number sevens, pushing his way into the Yorkshire Origin team.

Now there should be no holding back the player they call Casper, after the lead character in the cult 1960's film Kes.

"I got the injuries at the start of last season and I carried on playing with injections," he said.

"They didn't get me in for the operation until two months after the season had finished, so that was disappointing, missing the first six weeks of the season.

"But I've trained hard and hopefully after another couple of matches I should be back to my best."


I've been geared up for playing for Great Britain before and ended up getting kicked in the teeth through injury
Tony Smith

Smith had surgery to reconstruct his wrist and reattach ligaments to his ankle.

"He's been rebuilt," joked coach Shaun McCrae.

But he still refuses to allow himself any tingle of anticipation as far as Great Britain is concerned.

"I've been geared up for playing for Great Britain before and ended up getting kicked in the teeth through injury.

"I just take one game at a time, keeping putting the effort in and hopefully you never know what might happen.

"If I'm playing well for Hull, I can't do anything more. It's up to the people picking the team to notice."

See also:

20 May 02 | Rugby League
20 Apr 02 | Super League
22 Jan 02 | Rugby League
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