Promoters reckon Brandon Smith could be boxing's next cross-code pay-per-view star

There are talks that rugby league player Brandon Smith could be the next cross-code megastar to come out of Australia and New Zealand.

Boxing promoters No Limit believe the Sydney Roosters recruit has the potential to be a genuine Pay-Per-View seller, taking the reins from fellow NRL hard man Paul Gallen.

During his stint in the NRL, Smith has quickly become a fan favourite.

From his hard work ethic on the field to his loveable larrikin nature off it, he certainly has a marketable personality.

And it's the sort of thing the guys over at No Limit are looking for in their next big-name star.

Not just that, though, apparently Smith - AKA 'The Cheese' - has got some serious talent inside the ring too.

Supplied/NRL

“Cheese was just talking about how much he loved the No Limit shows, and eventually we got talking about his own background in boxing,” No Limit CEO George Rose told Fox Sports Australia.

“And he definitely has that base, has that amateur experience.

“He’s also the type of guy who has the charisma to be like Paul Gallen was for boxing here in Australia.

“There aren’t too many guys out there who understand the boxing game as well as Paul did. (Laughs) Actually, no one understands the game like Gal.

“But if you look across the NRL now and ask yourself who has that capability to be a boxing Pay Per View star… yeah, I think the Cheese might be it.”

Supplied/NRL

Smith, a Premiership-winner with the Melbourne Storm, recently made his debut for the Roosters against his former club, admitting he was a "little shaky".

"It was kind of hard seeing all the medical staff, and all the physios on the sidelines - that was tough," Smith told Fox Sports.

"It was weird hearing all the names they were calling out for all the plays, I knew exactly what they were doing which started confusing me... I started to forget what the Roosters plays were."

He added: "I don't think the pre-season comp really matters - I don't even know how the points system works," he said.

"For Robbo (Trent Robinson) it's just I guess taking what we've learned in pre-season, going out there and trying to execute so we can take it into the real season where all the glitz and glamour is made.

"Hopefully we can do that in the next game – I think we were pretty poor tonight.

"We played against all the young fellas in the Melbourne side and they really gave it to us, so we've got a lot of room for improvement."

Topics: NRL, Rugby League, Sydney Roosters, Boxing

Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

@maxysherry