Paul Kent: Why Cameron Smith is simply the best in the NRL

NOBODY does it better than Storm skipper Cameron Smith, writes PAUL KENT. These are the winning blend of qualities that make up a champion.

THE genius of Cameron Smith is the genius of the pickpocket. He could peel a pear in your pocket and you would not know.

Smith can find 40 ways to beat you and there will be trouble finding one.

Cameron Smith is an absolute master in the NRL. Artwork: Boo Bailey

This season, Wests Tigers took it to Melbourne.

Jason Taylor was sacked during the week and Andrew Webster was interim coach and the Tigers, their pride poked, led 14-0 late in the first half. Finally a little life out of them.

A try for Storm minutes before half-time eased the pain but they were getting outplayed and the players walked off with their heads swirling.

What happened next goes in the file.

Melbourne came back and found their grind until Smith dropped out of dummy-half and kicked downfield, a simple 40-20.

Melbourne get the scrum and from the next set Young Tonumaipea scores and Storm put on a clinic from there. They win 22-14.

Darius Boyd was on radio’s Big Sports Breakfast yesterday and he got asked what it is about Smith, who tonight breaks rugby league’s all-time record for most games with 356, and he thought through all those games he has played with Smith for Queensland and Australia and he settled on “composure’’.

“Whether you’re down by 20 or up by 20, he looks the same, he doesn’t look flustered,” Boyd said. “It’s like having a coach on the field.”

It goes nowhere near to explaining what makes Smith arguably the greatest player ever but, in its own way, it is the perfect way because it sits atop of everything.

Cameron Smith is second to none in the NRL.

It was there in Origin II this year. Dane Gagai scoring for Queensland in the 76th minute to come from behind and win 18-16.

In 2015, it was a Cooper Cronk field goal in the 74th minute, 11-10. Smith took the ball for a 20m restart and drove the Maroons up the middle of the field, delivering Cronk the ball in the sweet spot.

None of this was by chance.

His play selection is almost perfect.

Many years back, Michael Maguire was assisting Craig Bellamy at Melbourne and he had Smith and his posse, Billy Slater and Cronk, in a meeting room going over plays.

Maguire had an idea how they might exploit the opposition defence that coming weekend.

He drew it on the whiteboard, telling Smith to get there in three plays to run the play.

“Why don’t we get there in two plays?” Smith said.

Maguire looked at the territory necessary to cover, from tramline to tramline, and knew it would be a tremendous advantage but he thought it was impossible.

But this was Smith.

“If you can get there in two then do it,” he said. You never doubt genius.

Smith got there in two so casually Maguire remembers it forever.

Rival players often talk about Smith identifying them when they are hurt or slow to regroup in defence.

Smith will call their name and Slater will come flying and as quick as that Smith is out of dummy-half at them.

Composure is only part of what makes Smith the greatest footballer in Australia today, regardless of code.

Certainly he is alongside the NFL’s Tom Brady as the greatest clutch player in world sport.

Yet nothing is typical.

In other ways, Smith ­defies logic.

Unlike the modern footballer, born with dumbbells in their hands and with shoulders sculpted, Smith’s shoulders are flat out holding up his shirt.

Nothing about his appearance suggests he is an athlete.

Cameron Smith knows how to play the game and his players.

He has farmer’s strength. He got in a wrestle on tour with Australia and put Ryan Hoffman to sleep.

Hoffman, stung, called him on again. Smith warned him.

Then Smith handicapped himself, allowing Hoffman the tremendous advantage of beginning on top. He put him to sleep again.

With this body, Smith has made 1566 tackles in Origin, considered the toughest arena in rugby league.

The next best in 38 seasons of State of Origin football is Gary Larson. Larson was a tackling purebred, just wind him up and point him towards the Blues.

He made 813 tackles, or almost half.

On top of that, Smith has played 3298 minutes from a possible 3363 minutes in Origin, including three minutes of golden point in 2004. Smith, still there at the end when Shaun Timmins kicked the winning field goal.

Yet here it is.

In all those minutes, making all those tackles, the Queensland physio has seen Smith climb on the physio table only once.

The NRL captains playing finals footy in 2017 lined up to launch the series during the week. Picture. Phil Hillyard

His durability is extraordinary. Smith has played 42 Origin games since his 2003 debut, missing just one with injury. That comes on top of his 50 Tests for Australia.

He is the captain, the leader.

The greatest because he has a mix of talent, hard work, brains and leadership that run second to nobody.

When Melbourne teammate Jesse Bromwich was implicated on a drugs charge after the Anzac Test in May, he caught the flight home alone in thought as he looked at the back of Smith’s head several rows ahead.

He watched Smith walking through the terminal after the plane landed.

He knew he had to catch up and so he quickened his steps and reached out and tapped Smith on the shoulder.

“Is it true?” Smith said, turning.

Bromwich said it was.

Smith turned and walked and they did not see each other again until back at the club and Bellamy called Bromwich in, and Smith was there, too.

They hit Bromwich with all their disappointment and Bromwich took it all.

Then Smith reached out and took him under his arm again.

Originally published as Paul Kent: Why Cameron Smith is simply the best in the NRL