JP Smith re-signs with Reds

JP Smith has signed a new contract with the Reds, keeping him closely aligned with identical twin brother Ruan.

Both Smith twins will now be at Ballymore until the end of 2020.

The pair have been valuable, experienced additions to a Reds pack which now boasts one of the strongest scrums in Super Rugby.

That has plenty to do with the explosive power of Taniela Tupou but Smith has filled the shoes of suspended star James Slipper admirably.

“Ever since our family moved here, it has been our dream to play for Queensland,” Smith said.

“The rugby community here has been so supportive, so it is great to be able to call Ballymore home and to settle here for the next two years.“We felt we made good progress this year, but there is still a lot of room for improvement.

“We established a standard around our set piece place, so now the challenge is for us to be consistent with that.”

Reds coach Brad Thorn wrapped the impact Smith has had on the Queensland pack.

“JP came into the program ahead of the 2018 season and has really bought into what we’re trying to achieve in the forwards,” Thorn said.

“We’ve had a strong focus on consistent, dominant set piece performances and the hard work of him and his teammates in that space has been key.”