NRL legend Cameron Smith signs two-year deal at Melbourne Storm until the end of 2020

Cameron Smith is set to become rugby league’s first 400-game player, with the Melbourne legend set to break even more records, signing with the Storm until 2020.

Melbourne were never going to lose their iconic skipper. (AAP Image/Hamish Blair)

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Cameron Smith has signed a new two-year deal at Melbourne Storm that will see him play into a 19th season.

The contract will lock the NRL record breaker in until the end of 2020, ending a five-month stalemate which even fuelled talk of the Storm legend’s retirement.

Smith, 35, started training last week after returning to Melbourne from an extended family holiday to America.

With the most talked about contract in rugby league sorted, Smith is now in line to become rugby league’s first 400-game player.

Melbourne were never going to lose their iconic skipper. (AAP Image/Hamish Blair)

The 384-game veteran could potentially celebrate the milestone against the Sharks at AAMI Park in round 17. He made his senior debut in 2002.

Smith will be available for preseason trial games against New Zealand (February 15) in Geelong and North Queensland (March 2) in Mackay.

Smith’s appetite to play on captured the imagination of Storm football director Frank Ponissi throughout prolonged talks.

Two more years? If anyone could do it … (Brett Costello)

“He’s in a tremendous mindset,” Ponissi told the Herald Sun in November.

“As keen and enthusiastic going into the season as we have ever seen him.”

“His contract will be done. (Storm fans have) zero to worry about.”

The saga heightened late last year when Smith asked for a two-year extension after being close to terms on a one-year deal, which the Storm had budgeted on.

While both camps remained on the same page, planned time off coupled with a frantic NRL off-season delayed negotiations.

Smith’s manager Isaac Moses was kept busy with several high-profile transactions, including ex-Souths coach Anthony Seibold’s move to Brisbane, Kangaroos prop David Klemmer shift to Newcastle and the surprise release of ex-Warriors-turned-Cronulla Sharks halfback Shaun Johnson.

Despite the delays, Storm officials were always confident a deal would ultimately get done.

Smith played 26 games last year and led Melbourne to its third consecutive grand final.

The league legend, a two-time Dally M and Golden Boot winner, boasts a career-winning strike rate of 70 per cent and last year, his 17th season, converted 82.4 per cent of kicks on goal.

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Originally published as NRL legend Cameron Smith signs two-year deal at Melbourne Storm until the end of 2020