NRL Grand Final 2020: Cameron Smith expected to slip quietly into retirement after final game of season

He may have refused to make a definitive call on his future on Friday night, but Melbourne Storm are confident they know which way Cameron Smith will turn after next weekend’s grand final.

Will he, or won’t he: Some of his teammates thought he was.

Next Sunday night’s NRL grand final will be Cameron Smith’s last game for the Melbourne Storm.

News Corp can reveal the Storm have not received a request from Smith for a new contract in a move that has Melbourne bosses resigned to the 37-year-old retiring after the NRL decider at ANZ Stadium.

The off-contract Smith has given no indication he wants to enter negotiations - fuelling Melbourne’s belief their champion will walk away.

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Will he, or won’t he: Some of his teammates thought he was.

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It can also be revealed that Harry Grant, the boom hooker loaned to the Wests Tigers this year, is preparing to return to the Storm in 2021, in another sign Smith is gearing up for his 430th and final match in Melbourne colours.

Smith refused to make a definitive call on his future after Friday night’s preliminary final defeat of Canberra but the sight of him being chaired off Suncorp Stadium by teammates is evidence his most trusted allies can see the end.

Storm coach Craig Bellamy even had a slip of the tongue at the post-match press conference, saying: “As a club, we have planned that when Cam goes...oh well, you know, if he goes next year, but if he doesn't, it’s the same, we will work in with that.”

Smith has spent his decorated career keeping everyone guessing but the Storm will eventually need an answer. The NRL’s annual contracting period starts on November 1 and just two weeks out, the Smith camp has yet to start talks with Storm bosses on a 12-month extension for the 2021 season.

When Smith signed his current contract in 2019, he made the Storm wait until January. But the parties had been in regular dialogue for months. This time, there have been no negotiations.

The euphoria of a Storm title may yet convince Smith to play on, but Melbourne insiders believe he will retire.

Storm hierarchy say they have the salary-cap space to accommodate their captain for one more season but his understudy Grant, who has a get-out clause in his contract if Smith plays on, is privately under the impression he will be returning to Melbourne next year.

It is understood Smith and his wife, Barb, have put their Melbourne home up for sale after recently purchasing a new family house on the Gold Coast. Their three children are enrolled at a Gold Coast school next year.

Smith pulls off the play of the game on Friday night in denying Nic Cotric a try.

Smith’s former Big Three cohort Cooper Cronk enjoyed a premiership swan song at the Roosters last year and now the champion hooker gets his shot at a farewell lap-of-honour at Homebush.

Storm insiders believe Smith has no interest in a week of celebration for his remarkable 18-season career, with the former Origin and Test skipper happy to quietly slip into retirement in the off-season without fanfare.

Smith maintained he was undecided about his future in the lead-up to his eighth grand final.

“I can’t tell you, I don’t know,” he said.

“All I’m worried about this year is trying to play well and just enjoy watching the young fellas grow as footballers and grow as men.

“I’ve been very fortunate in my career to be involved in some really big games with the Storm and lucky enough to win some premierships.

The Suncorp Stadium crowd applaud Cameron Smith.

“There are a lot of guys starting out their career that haven’t had that opportunity yet and I’m just enjoying their success at the moment and sharing their journey. I haven’t thought past that.

“I won’t know that until next week and I’m not getting ahead of myself and worrying about what happens after that game. All I’m focused on now is what I can do for the team now and that’s getting myself ready for next week.

“I’m just going to approach the week like I’ve done every other day this year and every other day I’ve had in my entire career. And then once the game’s over next week, then I’ve got some thinking to do and some decisions to make. There’s no doubt about that.”

Smith has been linked with a cameo at the Broncos or Titans, but it appears unlikely he will pull on the colours of a rival club.

Storm forward Christian Welch admitted he thought Smith was retiring after being chaired off Suncorp.

“I kind of just assumed he was retiring when we were chairing him off, but I guess that wasn’t it,” he said.

Smith was at his best as the Storm toppled the Raiders.

“He has owned the Suncorp cauldron for many years with Origin and the Storm. He did make some big plays out there, I would probably chair him off just for that Nick Cotric tackle alone.

“I thought he was retiring, but he might be playing on.”