The sibling energy running through Easts with the Smit, Tominiko and Kirk brothers gives true meaning to the term, family club.
For flanker Alex Smit, 22, it is the very reason he’s at the Tigers after making the call to follow his brother to Bottomley Park after playing Colts at Wests in 2019.
Centre Matt, 25, was an influential figure in the midfield during Easts’ heady 2020 premiership run and has been ever since.
The Timiniko brothers, Laurence and JP, have made their presence felt in the front-row while pacy halfback Will Kirk and flyhalf brother Lachy have been filling super sub roles of late, while middle-brother Sam also plays in Easts senior grades.
All will play at some stage of Saturday’s clash against Norths at Bottomley Park on a day of catch-up games from the washed out Round 4 of the StoreLocal Hospital Cup.
“It’s been a real highlight playing alongside Matt. This opportunity to play with him has kept me around,” Alex said.
“One thing I really enjoy is defending alongside him on either shoulder.
“From backyard footy to school footy to now playing at Easts you know the blood beside you is never going to let you down.
“Having the Tominiko brothers in the pack is awesome too. I think it really helps bring the forwards together.”
Headgear keeps in check the wild lion’s mane that Alex has not had cut since a bad experience with a barber at 14.
They may debate who is the favourite son at times and whether Matt needs his ears surgically tucked back but by and large they are close as brothers.
Hand-me-down jerseys. They are always a proud tradition for any Rugby-playing brothers.
Alex’s tackling and energy around the ball has been a vital part of the Tigers’ mid-season resurgence.
Beating Bond University (47-19), Souths (30-19) and Sunnybank (47-45) all in the span of eight days was a major feat of endurance.
The first grade side’s season was given real momentum. It’s hard to imagine any Easts side over the club’s 75-year history scoring 19 tries in eight days.
“It was a great chance to get some momentum. We knew the opportunity and we grasped it,” Alex said.
The flanker played all 240 minutes that week and was “well and truly buggered as well as satisfied” at the end of it.
Playing winless Norths is a tricky match-up because you know the Eagles are playing well enough in patches to spring an upset most weekends.
“Anyone playing Premier grade is a good player so we’re treating this as a tough match or you end up in strife,” Alex said.
Across town, the Byrne brothers, flanker Ben, 21, and lock Dan, 25, will be in the GPS pack for the match against Sunnybank at Ashgrove.
Competing for food at the dinner table was an early battleground for tall, hungry forwards both now playing at around 105kg.
“It has always been on the bucket list to play together. I stopped playing for two seasons and when Ben was going strongly in Colts I decided to get back into it last year,” lock Dan said.
The brothers have been fixtures in the GPS’ pack since the early rounds this year.
IMAGE: GPS brothers Ben and Dan Byrne with the Bunter Bowl following Ben's Premier Grade dedut, which was also Dan's 100th Cap. Photo: Rachel Wright
Ben’s workrate has been a positive addition to the pack whether trucking the ball up, his link play or going hard at the ball.
The pair learnt to tackle on the family’s lounge room floor but things didn’t always go to plan.
“We used to wrestle a heap as youngsters. I may have accidentally broken Ben’s arm in one manoeuvre in the yard,” Dan said.
“I know be beats me now. We got matched up in a pre-season wrestling drill at training and he flipped me on my back and pinned me. I copped a bit of banter for that.
“I think with younger brothers generally, they’ve always got to fight for their fill in the family and have to push a bit harder.”
Father Tony played in the pack for the Queensland Under-21s in 1982 when future Wallabies locks Damien Frawley and Nigel Holt were packmates.
Having Wallabies great John Eales as an uncle is also in the genes for the Byrne boys.
The brotherly bonds in Brisbane club teams have a long tradition.
The four Kefu brothers, Toutai, Steve, Mafi and Fa’aleo, got on the field together for Souths in first grade in 2003.
In the 1970s, the Mackay brothers Rob, Ranald and Hugh regularly played together for Easts.
It’s a long list all with sibling stories to tell.
