Brandon Smith fires back after post-match moment angers Roosters fans

Sydney Roosters hooker Brandon Smith has hit back at NRL fans who took exception to a post-match exchange he shared with former Melbourne Storm teammates on Saturday night. Smith made his return from injury in the Round 20 clash but couldn't prevent the Roosters from going down 30-16.

The loss leaves the Bondi club in 14th place on the ladder with seven wins and 10 losses, with just seven games remaining to make the finals. Fans are understandably angry considering the usual success the Tricolours experience, with the danger of missing the finals seemingly unthinkable at the start of the season.

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Amidst the drama, Smith landed himself in more hot water with fans after he was seen laughing and sharing a joke with his former Storm teammates after full-time. Smith could be seen mingling with Cameron Munster and Jahrome Hughes, with fans pointing out that he didn't look particularly sad that he'd lost the game.

Speaking on the 'Jam and Cheese podcast' on Tuesday, Smith hit back at the critics and said he was simply feeling happy to be back on the field. “I guess it is not ideal to be happy after a loss like that, especially with the season on the line,” Smith said.

“But those guys I am talking to, I have genuine love for those guys. I’ve just got through a footy game, I haven’t played in nine weeks and I get to see my best mates.

"I’m having a laugh, at the end of the day footy is your job and my life, I would like to be happy with my life. If I can’t enjoy moments with my mates after a game you can pretty much go and get f****d.”

Discussing the situation on NRL 360, Paul Crawley of the Daily Telegraph said it wasn’t a “good look”. He added: “I watched it on Saturday night... it caught my eye that he was sitting out there and their season had just crashed and burned.

“Having a good old chin-wag with his former mates from Melbourne, and to be honest it didn’t bother me... but I know some Roosters fans who it did bother. I guess what I took out of what Brandon just said is the fact he said ‘footy is my job’.

“I think sometimes the players need to read the room and understand the majority of the fans that follow this club through thick and thin, after what had happened in that game. To be on the field joking around is just not a good look. I know the players have changed... times have changed, but in this instance even save it for the room after the game.”

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Fellow journalist David Riccio added: “I think we have come to learn that Brandon Smith is a little bit of a different character, and so I don’t have a massive problem with it. I’ll tell you why, because I have got the image in my head of the dressing room of which Fox Sports were able to capture, it looked like a morgue.

“There I saw Brandon Smith, he was shattered there. Catching up with ex-teammates, I don’t have a big problem with it.”

Broncos legend Gorden Tallis said: “I think next time in hindsight, Smithy would just go in the dressing rooms, he can go and have a beer and sit in there for 20 minutes. But it is sort of rubbing salt in the wounds."

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