Former Queensland hooker Matt Ballin,now an assistant coach with Brisbane,said the scrutiny of Mozer was unjust pressure,particularly given the 19-year-old had just one NRL cap to his name.
Ballin said while the youngster could one day forge a career to rival that of Smith,such lofty expectations needed to be squashed as he engaged in a five-way shootout for dummy-half duties.
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“Blakey’s had big wraps on him ever since he’s come through,which is probably a little bit unfair,but that’s just ... when young kids are compared to Cameron Smith,what happens these days,” Ballin said.
“That’s not his fault,that’s just the way it is.
“Where we get misconstrued is when we say ‘Cameron Smith is my idol’,they think he’s comparing himself to him - he’s just saying ‘I want to be as good a player as Cameron Smith’,he’s never said ‘I am a player as good as him’.
“Blakey’s got some great attributes ... he’s quite big like Cameron,but he’s got different attributes,and he’s quite a smart player and quite a thoughtful player.