Thursday 20 September 2018 17:37, UK
St Helens half-back Matty Smith will leave the club at the end of the season and will join another, undisclosed Super League club for an undisclosed fee.
Smith has had three spells with Saints, having re-signed for the club in 2017, but will move on at the end of the current campaign.
"It's been tough for Matty this year," said Saints head coach Justin Holbrook. "He just missed out at the beginning of the season at half-back and it has been hard for him to work his way into the team as we have had a successful season to date.
"He has done a great job for us at hooker when needed but Matty is too good a player not to be playing in Super League regularly and therefore it made sense to make this move happen.
"Matty has been a good influence in training and around the squad and that can't have been easy when he wasn't playing.
"He is a great guy and we wish him all the best."
Smith played his first game for St Helens in 2006 after coming through the club's Academy system, and then re-joined his hometown side for the 2010 Grand Final run-in.
In total he has played 49 times for the Saints, scoring 44 points.
"Firstly, I would like to thank both Eamonn McManus and Keiron Cunningham for bringing me back to St Helens, a club that I grew up supporting from an early age," said Smith.
"It's fair to say that the past two years have not gone as I would have hoped or liked. Unfortunately, last year, the two worst injuries of my career limited my time on the pitch and this season I have not had the chance to play in my most effective position of scrum half.
"It has been difficult for me to sit and watch because anyone who knows me will tell you how passionate I am about playing rugby league.
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank Eamonn for the way he has handled my situation. He has been great with me and allowed me to leave the club two years before my contract was due to end in order to fulfil my desire to play rugby league at the top level."
