I'm no Sharks' saviour, says Tim Smith
Statistics may indicate a need for divine intervention, but new Cronulla recruit Tim Smith declared he was no saviour as the Sharks look to avoid their own slice of NRL infamy.
One loss away from becoming joint record holders for the worst losing run since the NRL began, the Sharks on Tuesday unveiled the man they are hoping will help put points on the board and add victories to the win column.
While that task may seem mountainous given Cronulla's pitiful start to the season - and the fact Smith hasn't played in the NRL since walking out on Parramatta just three games into the 2008 season citing difficulties dealing with bi-polar disease - the man himself said he wasn't placing any pressure on himself to come up with a miracle.
"I'm just going to go out there and play footy - I'm no saviour - I've been out of the game for two years," Smith said.
"I'm not going to go out and be Andrew Johns, I'm just going to go out and play normal footy and hopefully I can contribute to the team."
Smith still suffers from bi-polar disease, for which he takes regular medication, but he claims he's a different man to the one who burst onto the scene to claim rookie of the year honours in 2005 before a string of alcohol-related episodes led to his suspension by the Eels in 2007.
Three games into the next season he was gone, but after a stint with Wigan and a pre-season trying to break into the Brisbane squad, Smith said the wild-child days were behind him.
"I think I've matured a lot since then, I'm a father to be, I've got a partner that I've been with for 12 months, I just feel good about myself," Smith said.
"I hit the scene running pretty well and died in the arse a little bit there. I'm just happy to be back here and I look at it as a second chance and the club here have given me that."
"Two years (out of the NRL), it feels like ten. I've got a good opportunity here so hopefully I can make the most of that."
So too will Sharks fans, who are growing tired of watching a team that has not only failed to win its last 13 games, but that rarely finds itself even in the contest thanks to an inability to put significant points on the board.
Over the losing run they have averaged just 12 points per game while conceding more than 27, while only twice over the period have they managed to score more than two tries in a game.
The completion rates that drive coach Ricky Stuart bonkers are also proof of a team that doesn't give itself a chance.
Stuart admitted the arrival of Smith would give his side more attacking options, but he was adamant that it would take more than one player to get the Sharks out of the mire.
"I'm not putting extra burden on Timmy this week in regards to getting the side a victory - we've got to do that ourselves, the other players have got to help Tim," Stuart said.
"It will be a big step up this weekend but if I didn't have the confidence in Tim I wouldn't start him.
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