South Sydney NRL player Brandon Smith has reached a significant milestone, marking over 300 days of sobriety after entering rehabilitation to address alcohol issues. The 30-year-old shared his recovery journey during an appearance on Nine's 100% Footy, expressing his hope that his story could encourage others facing similar challenges.
Smith entered rehabilitation during the off-season following a difficult period that included injuries, his departure from the Sydney Roosters, and criminal charges in Queensland. He faces accusations of supplying a dangerous drug and using or disclosing inside information for betting, with the charges still before the courts and Smith entitled to the presumption of innocence.
During the broadcast, Smith welcomed the opportunity to speak about his recovery. "It's going awesome, I'm glad you asked because the more people that know about this the better, because I want to try and inspire other people," he stated. "I've had a great career and had a lot of fun but sometimes I feel that fun can get away from you and I feel like it did, particularly during my time at the Roosters. I'm over 300 days sober now."
The admission was met with applause from the studio audience. Smith acknowledged that maintaining sobriety had been challenging, particularly while navigating another injury-affected season. He suffered a significant ACL and MCL injury in 2024, followed by recurring calf problems. "It hasn't been easy, it's been very hard. Especially through injuries it's like, what am I doing this for? I've given up something I love and nothing really good's coming of it. That's really been testing me," he said. "Thankfully I'm back on the field, I'm playing alright footy compared to what I was tossing up at the Roosters."
Smith credited the Rabbitohs for their support but emphasized that the decision to seek rehabilitation and alter his behavior was his own. He noted the loyalty shown by the club and coach Wayne Bennett during his struggles. "Particularly with all the off-field stuff that I've gone through while joining the Bunnies, it [loyalty] is something that is very important to me," Smith had previously commented. "Not just Wayne Bennett, but the whole club has stuck by my side and helped me through anything... that I'm going through. I have it in the back of my mind I don't want to let Wayne down."
Smith spent six seasons with the Melbourne Storm, winning the 2020 premiership, before transferring to the Roosters in 2023. He joined the Rabbitohs midway through the 2025 season after receiving an early release from the Roosters.
Looking ahead, Smith expressed a desire to remain involved in rugby league after his playing career concludes. "I don't really know yet, that's still part of a transition phase. I know one thing, I don't want to get digging holes, I want to be involved in rugby league. That's my number one thing because rugby league has given me a lot of things in life ... I just want to be part of rugby league for the rest of my life," he said.