Playing Career
Vital Statistics
- Full Name
- Robert Smithies
- Born
- Thursday, 26th February, 1948
- Died
- Tuesday, 5th November, 2019 (Aged 71 years and 252 days)
Honours & Awards
Based only on data available in the RLP database. This information should be used as a guide only.
Biography
Balmain's grand final fullback in the 11-2 win over Souths in 1969, Smithies was originally from Dapto in the I’warra competition. English-born, he came to Balmain after winning the I’warra competition in 1968, and later played for Hull KR.
- ALAN WHITICKER
Playing Career Statistics
All statistics shown in this section are based only on data available in the RLP database, and are not necessarily a complete and/or 100% accurate representation of a player's career. This information should be used as a guide only. If you see a question mark (?), it denotes that the figure is not available.
To view a list of corresponding matches, click on the List button.
| Tour Matches | Hull Kingston Rovers | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | |||
| Tour Matches | Illawarra Firsts | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
| Club Career - Australia | Comp Wins | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) | 1 | 58 | 14 | 2 | - | 46 | 36 | 21 | 1 | 62.07% | List | ||||
| NSWRFL Finals | - | 3 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.67% | List | ||||
| Preseason Cup | - | 12 | 2 | - | - | 6 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 41.67% | List | ||||
| Midweek Cup | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.00% | List | ||||
| Endeavour Cup | - | 2 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.00% | List | ||||
| Overall | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||||
| First Class | 74 | 16 | 2 | - | 52 | 44 | 32 | 1 | 59.46% | List | |||||
Australia - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| NSW City Seconds | 1969 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | ||||
| Sydney Firsts | 1970 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| Illawarra Firsts | 1975, 1977 | 3 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 2 | 0 | 33.33% | List | ||||
| Overall | 1969-1977 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 2 | 3 | 0 | 40.00% | List | ||||
NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) - By Year | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Season | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Balmain | NSWRFL 1969 | 23 | 2 | 2 | - | 10 | 18 | 5 | 0 | 78.26% | List | ||||
| Balmain | NSWRFL 1970 | 20 | 9 | - | - | 27 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 60.00% | List | ||||
| Balmain | NSWRFL 1971 | 15 | 3 | - | - | 9 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 40.00% | List | ||||
NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Balmain | 1969-71 | 58 | 14 | 2 | - | 46 | 36 | 21 | 1 | 62.07% | List | ||||
Contributions:
Greg Fiveash, Rugby League Tables, Paul Carter, Andrew Ferguson, Max Turner, Tony McCarron, Shawn Dollin, Alan Katzmann, AJ Lucantonio, Tim Costello
Sources:
Newspapers
Your Say
07/05/2012
Unusual for a full-back in an era in which full-backs tended to take the long punts downfield, Smithies did NOT have a strong boot on him.
25/09/2012
I think Bob played for Wollongong Teachers' College Rugby Union First Grade side, in 1965.
21/10/2012
bob,s genuine speed in the return of the kick caught everyone in this era off guard
12/10/2017
Bloody good bloke was my PE teacher st Ashfield boys high
19/04/2019
I am going back a few years now like late 60s early 70s I am sure he was my teacher at Stanmore public school...
07/02/2020
Vale Bob Smithies Passed away 5/11/2019
09/09/2023
Bob played full back for the Dapto Canaries prior to playing for Balmain. This was back in the days when Dapto's home ground, the Dapto showground, was packed with fans enjoying the skills of players like Bobby Smithies.
01/07/2024
Played with Bob in the 1963 NSW schools series v QLD Bob scored the only and winning try in the 7-3 defeat of QLD in the second test to win the series. The first and only time I ever kissed a player.
06/07/2025
Bobby was my Dapto juniors coach. Great man and loyal. Visited me in hospital after an accident. A man I will never forget.
20/09/2025
As someone else mentioned, Bob was my PE teacher at Ashfield Boys High in 1970. The year after Balmain won the GF over South's.
He was a great guy, and I got him to sign my autograph book. Underneath his signature he wrote "Up the Tigers"
RIP Bobby Smithies.
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