New Zealand coach Michael Maguire has dropped Melbourne Storm utility Brandon Smith for their clash against Great Britain at Eden Park.
Smith was one of the standouts for the Storm during their run to the minor premiership in 2019, having been awarded Dally M Interchange player of the year.
His strong form was rewarded with the starting hooking job for the Kiwis in their opening clash against the Kangaroos, with Australia running out 26-4 winners, before being named in the number nine jersey for their clash against Great Britain.
However, New Zealand legend and commentator Daryl Halligan has revealed that Maguire has dropped the 23-year-old just hours before the clash, suggesting that he has failed to meet the standards and expectations set by the side.
“Brandon Smith won’t play today,” he told SkySport NZ.
“This week he failed to meet the expectations and standards that the coaching group, Michael Maguire and the senior guys in the team expect in the black jumper.
“He’s been stood down, maybe he’ll get an opportunity next week.”
Warriors half Kodi Nikorima will slot into the starting line-up at hooker in place of Smith, with Storm team-mate Jahrome Hughes remaining on the bench.
It marks the second change to the unsuccessful spine from last week, with forgotten Bulldogs five-eighth Kieran Foran brought in for Shaun Johnson after he was singled out for criticism by Maguire post-match.
“I’ll talk to Shaun around that space, yeah,” Maguire said after the loss last week.
“We’ll go through that and we’ve seen Shaun perform and build pressure but tonight just wasn’t his night, so we’ve got to look at that.”
