Wigan Warriors star among four England players nominated for Golden Boot award

The 23-year-old featured in all four fixtures under Shaun Wane this year, winning his first official cap in the 64-0 win over France earlier in April at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.

He was then a prominent member of the squad that defeated Tonga in the first-ever series between the two nations.

Smith, who won the player of the series award and picked up the Nan Halafihi Medal, kicked 22 of England’s 62 points across the three test matches against Kristian Woolf’s star-studded international outfit.

The Super League Grand Final winner has been nominated alongside England team-mates Mikey Lewis, John Bateman and Matty Ashton following the 3-0 series whitewash, with a panel comprising some of the most accomplished players in international rugby league selecting the men’s and women’s 2023 IRL Golden Boot winners.

Golden Cap recipients Darren Lockyer (Australia), Adrian Morley (England), Ruben Wiki (New Zealand), James Graham (England) and Adam Blair (New Zealand), who are among just nine players to have played 50 internationals for their country, will choose the men’s IRL Golden Boot winner.

Tonga captain Addin Fonua-Blake is also up for the men’s award, with New Zealand players dominating the long lists of men’s and women’s candidates, with a shortlist to be announced after the second wheelchair international between last year’s World Cup winners England and runners-up France in Carcassonne on November 25.

The IRL Golden Boot is awarded to the best player in sanctioned rugby league international matches each year, with the winners to be announced in December.