Smith has been selected as the first player from Moree East Public School to represent the New South Wales under 12 rugby league team.

They will play matches against Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Northern Territory and ACT in Wollongong on August 9.

Mother, Tania Porter, said she could not believe it when his name was read out a few weeks ago at Tweed Heads during a North West carnival.

“The process goes school, North West and then state,” she said.

“When they called his name out it freaked me out a bit,” she laughed.

“We were ready to pack up and go home but the North West coach at the time told us to hang around, so luckily we did.”

The talented five-eighth usually teams up in the halves with brother Daniel to torment opposition defences but this time he’ll have to go it alone.

“The coach told us that Daniel only just missed out,” Porter said.

Before the matches against the other states and territories, Smith will travel to Sydney for a four-day training camp on August 4 before continuing to Wollongong for the nine-day competition.

Both Tania and partner James were proud of their son’s achievements and said he had continued to work hard.

“He’s really talented and we’d like to thank Muriel Kelly from Moree East Public School because without her he wouldn’t have made it this far,” she said