Joshua Smith

A New Zealand-born loose forward making his way in Australian rugby, Joshua Smith is one of the younger members of the Western Force back row in Super Rugby Pacific. Born in June 2004, Smith operates as a flanker, a role that places a premium on stamina, tackling intensity and a strong presence over the ball. His game is built around the unglamorous work that defines openside play: contesting the breakdown, chasing down ball-carriers in defence and providing a link between the tight forwards and the wider attacking shape. Players of his type are ultimately judged on work rate, the volume of tackles made, rucks hit and turnovers contested across a full match, and Smith profiles as a mobile, energetic forward suited to the fast, ball-in-hand approach favoured in the southern hemisphere. Still in the early phase of his senior career, he forms part of the Force's continued investment in young forward talent as the franchise looks to deepen its pack for the seasons ahead.