He's been a constant in the Moree black and white for almost a decade and is on the Bulls 100-game honour roll, but Nick Smith's first sporting passion was actually the round ball game.
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It was only when he went away to school at Toowoomba Grammar that he picked rugby up.
Up until then he'd played soccer.
Finding he enjoyed it, Smith continued on to university, playing with St Albert's, before linking up with the Bulls when he returned home to Moree.
Now into his eighth or ninth season with them, he is the longest-serving of the current first grade side, and the only around the last time the Bulls contested the Central North first grade grand final, which was in 2015.
He started at No.6 in the second grade decider that day, which the Bulls incidentally also lost.
The first grade side that year featured stalwarts such as Ben Colley, Heath Riggs, Matt Wannan, John Adams, Maciu Latabua, Daniel Taunton and Ben Carrigan - all centurions for the club.
Over the ensuing seasons, Smith, who joined the hundred club in April, has been a constant presence as the link between the forwards and the backs.
Studying agribusiness at uni, the now 30-year-old said the plan was always to return to the family farm at Gurley.
In his family for more than a century, Smith, who runs it with his dad and wife Sophie, said it is special to be continuing on that legacy.
"I'm glad to be home and carrying that on," he said.
Around 6,500 acres, they grow wheat, chickpeas, linseed, cotton and a bit of sorghum.
Speaking after the Bulls preliminary final win over Gunnedah, which earned them a spot in Saturday's decider against Pirates in Tamworth, Smith was looking forward to the chance to play in another grand final. It's been a while.
"I haven't been in one since my first year playing so it's really nice to see the season through to the grand final," he said.
Before this year, last featuring in the finals in 2018, he feels like the Bulls have been building towards this for a little while.
"The last couple of years we've had a lot of the same guys coming in," he said.
"We fell short last year, we just left our run too late.
"This year we started a lot stronger and just had that cohesion from early on."
Attempting to win their first first grade premiership since 2013, he acknowledged that it is going to be tough.
"They're (Pirates) always very competitive, always a big physical side so it's going to be a challenge.
"But you wouldn't have it any other way for a grand final," he said.
