Was before my time but no doubt he was one of our best. RIP.

Tommy Smales and Dave Stockwell were part of the team that hooked me on the game and Bradford Northern.

My first game of rugby league involved Tommy Smales at scrum half. I will never forget those days as part of my childhood.

In effect - that era is why I remain a Bulls fan today - it gets in your bloodstream.

RIP Tommy lad - legend.

He also formed a great partnership with our loose forward at the time Johnny Rae. At a Scrum he would shoot round the back and pretend to pick the Ball up and carry on running down the blind side with an imaginary ball attracting defenders to him, meanwhile Johnny Rae had picked up the ball and often had a free run to the line. Great memories of a great player RIP Tommy.

I remember that move being done to great effect later by Deryck Fox and Peter Smith at Fev. Wonder if it would still work?

I remember that move so clearly. The first time I saw it done, not only did it fool the defenders, it fooled most of the speccies as well. We were all following Tommy, and when he finally stopped running, having taken most of the opposition with him, there was Johnnie Rae, on his own, under the sticks. Crafty wasn't the word for Tommy. I used to like Rae as well, even though he did resemble Bambi on Ice when he ran! R.I.P Tommy.

Even tommy wouldn't have got away with that move with our refs. As he pretended to pick up the ball our refs would most likely give a knock on....

Great player was Tommy Smales. Getting a former GB player just after reforming was a great boost to the club back in '64 and he didn't let us down. Classy player. RIP Tommy.

Yup...it would. Like the imaginary wild passes Johnny Walford (did not) made. Bulls hit baffles brains. Even today!

RIP and a silent handclap to another RL legend.

One other memory. As a teenager I watched Northern play Keighley at Lawkholme. Scrums were still contested and feeding was ( often but not always) penalised. Keighley's hooker was winning the scrums.
So what does Tommy do - makes sure one of his teammates distracts the ref who looks away momentarily . He dummies the ball into the scrum , shoots to the back , pretends to pick up the ball and passes to ( I think) Stockwell.
Cue laughter from Bradford fans , anger from Keighley supporters and complete bemusement from the Keighley front row.
A trick to be repeated sometime later by a young Bak Diabira.
RIP to one of our legends

Did folk in Keighley notice that one? Sounds a bit quick for them! Tongue in cheek of course! Cannot keep good men down. www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/n ... ing_black/

Did folk in Keighley notice that one? Sounds a bit quick for them! Tongue in cheek of course! Cannot keep good men down. www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/n ... ing_black/

Absolutely loved Tommy Smales. You don't seem to see that kind of guile and craft in the modern game.

RIP.

Tommy Smales was one of the first GREATS I saw at Northern.I too remember the DUMMY run.Smales/Stockwell/Rae,a great trio.I was HOOKED straight away on this great game.
RIP Tommy,you was a gud un.

Not old enough to have seen him play but he was one of those previous players who my Grandad would tell me stories about. Sounded a great player.

A few years back I spent two years at college with Tommy's son Ian (a great player in his own right). Terribly sad news and I feel for Ian and his family at this time.

I think Ian Smales was another Tommy Smales`s son. He played at the same time but was a loose forward for Featherstone

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Smales https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Smales https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Smales

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Smales https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Smales https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Smales

Absolutely right he did also score tries with that ploy himself, as the opposition thought he would use the JR ploy again. but it was JR who would use that tactic whilst Tommy crossed the line. He was also the assistant coach to Dave Hobbs, and if you ever get chance to talk to Roger Simpson you can ask him who taught him the art of the side step. We had Tommy as one of our legends in the original gallery of excellence in the Trevor Foster Lounge, as was.
We as a club more than ever should honour and remember those Players who helped us to the success of latter years. They were etched into the memory banks of us older supporters, and at least we have been able to tell our children and our childrens children about their exploits.

Rest Easy my Friend and all the other greats we have known.