Reimis wants a home at left centre

After playing almost an entire season as winger in 2019, Canterbury flyer Reimis Smith is hoping to make left centre his home this season.

The mid-season pick-up of Dallin Watene-Zelezniak last year pushed Will Hopoate to the centres, adding to what was already a log-jam of outside backs, with Marcelo Montoya and Kerrod Holland mostly preferred at centre over the closing stages of last year.

With Hopoate having the right centre slot shored up and the likes of Jayden Okunbor, Nick Meaney, Christian Crichton, Montoya and young gun Jake Averillo all in the frame for wing spots, Smith is hoping to stay where he is.

Smith played at left centre and Averillo was a standout playing outside hm in the 12-10 trial loss to the Raiders in Port Macquarie on Saturday night.

"I'll play wherever but if I had to pick I'd say that left centre is probably the position I'm going to try and home in on on that left edge," Smith told NRL.com.

"I know Hop's going to be the right centre so definitely left centre, I'm going to try and nail it there and see how we go."

The Dogs' dominant 10-0 start in Port Macquarie featured Smith combining with Averillo, Jack Cogger and returning Maori All Star Corey Harawira-Naera, with the combination defending well and looking the more likely edge in attack.

"We've been working since November so it's nothing too new now, it's just putting it together out on the field," Smith added.

"We've been working for four or five months but it was good to try it out against a team that doesn't know our attack and doesn't know our plays and we don't know their plays.

"I thought it was a good hit out for us. We worked on a lot of things that last week we didn't do so well and I thought we put in place this week so I thought it was a really good hit out.

"We got a few lads back this week like Corey [Harawira-Naera]. We were still missing a few but if we put it all together, we're pretty confident moving into round one against the Eels. We got a bit of confidence so looking forward to it."

Smith admitted there was plenty of competition for spots in the backs heading into the season proper.

"That's the best thing about our team, we've got a lot of depth which is always pushing me, we're not just resting on our laurels, it's good to see the boys ripping in and keeping everyone on their toes," he said.

"We went all right the back end of last year which gives a bit of confidence coming into this year but we can't rest on that, we have to start quick and fast and that's how we'll do it this year."

He said the entire squad was pumped to be involved in a tantalising season-opener at Bankwest Stadium against the Eels on Thursday week.

"Far out man, I'm so excited, it's going to be a massive crowd and the atmosphere is going to be unreal and against the Eels, one of the top teams now, I can't wait," he said.