NRL bad boy Brandon Smith took to social media to wish a heartfelt happy birthday to his girlfriend, Isabella Williams. In the post, the 29-year-old South Sydney Rabbitohs hooker also made a cheeky admission about how he has treated her throughout their relationship.
Smith's Rocky Road
Smith made headlines for all the wrong reasons last year when he was charged with unlawfully supplying Sydney Roosters star Victor Radley with cocaine at Currimundi on Queensland's Sunshine Coast on June 7. He also faces a charge of disclosing inside knowledge of South Sydney's starting line-up for his return from injury on July 2. Smith denies both charges but risks copping a huge ban from the NRL if found guilty of giving inside information so an alleged drug dealer could place a bet.
At the start of 2026, Smith revealed he had been alcohol-free for 105 days and is receiving counseling for his gambling addiction after a life-changing four-week stay in rehab.
Birthday Tribute
On Instagram, Smith wrote: 'Happy 30th birthday my love, thank you for being my rock and sticking by my side through all the s**t I put you through. Love you.' The post showed evidence of Smith turning his life around, with the couple enjoying a hike together.
Smith, originally nicknamed 'Hectic Cheese' for his hard-drinking, hard-partying lifestyle, seems to have righted the ship to get his career back on track. Speaking on the Bye Round podcast, he said: 'Over the last three years of not dealing with it the right way, it created this massive snowball effect. It wasn't until this offseason that I stood back and saw it, and how my life trajectory was going.'
Rehab and Recovery
Smith explained that he entered rehab on his own accord. 'I don't know why I'm hiding but I went on a four-week holiday at a rehab facility. It was something I couldn't more highly recommend for people that are dealing with issues. Mine was mental health, and alcohol, and abuse – of pretty much every nature.'
He added: 'What I really learnt in there was that throughout the last five years of my career I had this identity as a party boy ... and I sort of played up to that identity and didn't want to disappoint anyone. When I came out of the facility the whole thing was about re-identifying myself as a professional athlete. I'm not Brandon Smith the party boy, I'm Brandon Smith the rugby league player, the rugby league professional athlete that plays for South Sydney. That was a massive thing that I had to re-convince myself.'
Since leaving rehab, Smith says he has been alcohol-free for 105 days and attends Alcoholics Anonymous and Gamblers Anonymous meetings. 'I've gone to at least three team functions where all the boys were having a fun time. I managed to do it without alcohol. I'm still an annoying larrikin, a pest of a bloke. I didn't need alcohol to do all that.'
His transformation is evident in the Instagram post, with the couple pictured in front of a stunning waterfall backdrop.
