Australia's middle forwards have lavished praise on Lindsay Smith as the prop prepares to cap his breakout year with a Kangaroos debut in the Pacific Cup final.
Smith finished the 2024 NRL season as the only man to play every game of Penrith's grand final-winning campaign, picking up a second premiership ring as a reliable member of the bench.
The 24-year-old earned a call-up to the Kangaroos squad in the days after the grand final win over Melbourne, but appeared a depth selection rather than a lock for a place in the 17.
But Cameron Murray's wrist injury has opened up a spot for Smith to join the bench for the final against Tonga as a replacement for Hudson Young, promoted to the starting side.
Fellow Kangaroos props considered Smith a worthy recipient of a first green and gold jumper in Sunday's match at CommBank Stadium.
"Lindsay is actually one player who I watched quite closely throughout the year," said prop Lindsay Collins.
"He does those little things well, and that's what I probably recognised about him. I really enjoy watching him.
"When he got called into camp, I was excited to meet him as one front rower to another. I got to know him, and he's a great bloke on and off the field.
"He's consistent, so you know what you're going to get from him."
Smith enjoyed a particularly strong end to the season at the Panthers, showcasing some impressive ball-playing through the middle of the park and spending some time at second row.
Kangaroos prop Mitch Barnett saw himself in the St Marys junior.
"He's probably a bit similar to me," he said.
"He doesn't have to go out there and do anything special. He just has to do his job, and he does that really well.
"Understanding his game is probably the main thing that got him here."
Smith is in for a baptism of fire on the international stage as Addin Fonua-Blake, Jason Taumalolo and Taniela Paseka await in a hulking Tongan pack.
Outsiders with the bookmakers, Tonga will need to make the best of their battle with the more mobile Kangaroos to have any hope of victory.
"That's any prop or middle's dream, to get it over the opposition's forward pack," said Fonua-Blake.
"We're not going to shy away from the challenge, I'm going to try my hardest to go straight through the middle of their pack. I'm guessing they're going to try and do the same."
