Tambouras has been compared to Rambo by some for his uncompromising style of aggressive defence while Smith has impressed with his athleticism and equally determined play.

Fury coach Ian Ferguson said both players provided the hard-edged style of play he expects from centre halves.

"Tambo is a no-nonsense defender who wears his heart on his sleeve and gives you everything he's got," Ferguson said. "Matt is a different style of player. He's not got the same size, but he's great in the air.

"He might only be 5 foot 11 but he's 6 foot 10 when he jumps for it  and he reads the play well. He's got plenty of heart and I like that in a player."

Tambouras was brought in late in the pre-season and captained the team in his first match in Darwin when North Queensland downed Adelaide 3-2 in the Chief Minister's Cup.

"I knew I was going to enjoy it here the minute I got off the plane," Tambouras said. "Ian gave me a great opportunity to come back to Australia to play football and now I've got another chance to go on with it for another two seasons.

"The first year is always going to be tough for a new club, but we've done well and I want to be part of things as Fury moves forward."

Smith was described by as the find of the season after his performance against Melbourne Victory in Fury's 1-0 win at Dairy Farmers Stadium recently.

But the former Great Britain University defender doesn't want headlines, just to continue playing well for Fury.

"We've been talking about me staying for the last few days and I'm really looking forward to it," Smith said. "I've been loving the opportunity to play in the A-League after being a part-time player in the Queensland State League.

"I'm going to be here for the next few years now and that's really exciting for me.

"There were a couple of other offers but the big thing for me about Fury is the trust and the honesty from management and there's an opportunity to be part of the future of the club for the next couple of years."