Smith played with the Eastern Suburbs RUFC in the 1930s and after making state representative appearance for New South Wales against Queensland, Victoria and the All Blacks he was selected as a Wallaby for the ill-fated 1939 tour of Great Britain.

Docking at Southampton the day before World War II was declared, the side left England without playing a game.

Smith enlisted in the AIF during World War II and served in Palestine, Egypt and Syria before returning home in 1942.

For the 1944 semi-final against the St George Smith had to travel 25 hours by train from an army camp in Melbourne.

During the final years of the Second World War, when players and coaches became scarce, Len Smith co-coached the Newtown first grade team with Frank Farrell.

[1] In 2008, the centenary year of rugby league in Australia, Smith was named in the Newtown Jets 18-man team of the century.