Catalans Dragons have announced the immediate signing of Reimis Smith.
The New Zealand center, currently playing for Melbourne Storm, has signed with the club until the end of the 2024 season and is expected to arrive in Perpignan in the coming days.
Smith expressed his excitement: “I am truly excited to be joining a strong organization like the Catalans Dragons. I look forward to contributing to a team of quality players led by an outstanding coach. Over the past nine years in the NRL, including the last four years at Melbourne Storm, I have learned valuable traits that I will certainly apply to my training and game with the Dragons.”
Born in Sydney, Reimis Smith trained at Parramatta before joining Canterbury Bulldogs during the 2015 season. He began his career in the New South Wales Cup with Canterbury’s reserve team before making his professional debut in the NRL in May 2016, scoring two tries in his first appearance. With limited opportunities in the Bulldogs’ squad, he played in the NSW Cup, scoring 23 tries in 46 appearances between 2015 and 2018.
Smith established himself as a major player on the wing for Canterbury from the 2018 season, playing 38 games and scoring 23 tries over three years. In 2021, he signed with Melbourne Storm, the reigning NRL champions. He had a strong first season, scoring 14 tries in 25 NRL appearances, helping the Storm finish top of the table before being defeated by Penrith in a semi-final.
As a key player for Melbourne over the last four seasons, Smith made 69 appearances, including 13 of 18 NRL games this season. Since his professional debut, he has scored 50 tries in 118 NRL appearances. He also made his international debut for the Maori All-Stars against the Indigenous All-Stars in 2022, where the Maori won 16-10.
Dragons head coach Steve McNamara commented: “We are very happy to have secured Reimis, and it is a real bonus for us that he can join us immediately. He is coming to us from a club with a great culture, and he will add quality to our team.”
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