Brisbane Broncos emerge as shock candidates to sign NRL legend Cameron Smith

Gold Coast may have pulled out but another Queensland club wouldn’t turn down the chance of snapping up the services of Cameron Smith if the NRL legend decided to play on.

Cameron Smith celebrates after winning the 2020 NRL grand final. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

The Broncos have put out the welcome mat for Cameron Smith, with Brisbane emerging as the shock last resort for the Queensland legend.

News Corp can reveal the Broncos have not ruled out the prospect of signing Smith and have the salary cap space available to pull off a remarkable coup.

Nearly four months after Melbourne’s 2020 NRL premiership triumph, Smith is yet to announce his future plans, fuelling speculation he could extend his record-breaking 430-game career.

Watch Live & On-Demand coverage of NRL pre-season trial matches on Kayo. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial now & start streaming instantly >

Cameron Smith may kick on in 2021 as the Broncos express interest.

The Titans were heavily linked to Smith given his family has relocated to the Gold Coast. But they withdrew from the race on Thursday, with culture chief Mal Meninga admitting “he won’t be at the Titans”.

$1 KAYO HOT OFFER

> BRONCOS WEEK SPECIAL FOR THE COURIER-MAIL READERS

> $1 FOR FIRST MONTH OF KAYO BASIC FOR NEW CUSTOMERS

> STREAM 25 EPIC BRONCOS GAMES TODAY + OVER 50 SPORTS

> SIGN UP AT KAYOSPORTS.COM.AU/BRONCOSWEEK

Smith, 37, will not be returning to Melbourne, leaving the Broncos as his only option if he decides to play on into a record 20th NRL season.

The Broncos have more than $500,000 available in their 2021 salary cap following the release of hooker Andrew McCullough to St George Illawarra.

That would be enough to sign Smith, a $1 million-a-season player, if he joins the club in March or April, given nearly half of the NRL’s contracting year will have elapsed.

Broncos chairman Karl Morris said he would send a limousine to the Gold Coast to pick up Smith if he wanted to play for Brisbane.

“Look, who wouldn’t want Cam Smith, he is a legend of the game,” he said.

“But I can honestly say I haven’t spoken to him and I don’t know anyone at the Broncos who has spoken to him.

Smith was spotted training on the Gold Coast earlier this week.

“The ball is in his court. If Cam called any club tomorrow and said he wanted to play for them, including the Broncos, you would send a limousine to his house.

“Which of the 16 clubs would not want Cam on their books? But we haven’t had any talks so we haven’t had any plans to sign him.”

Smith famously chose Melbourne over the Broncos as a kid, rejecting Brisbane coach Wayne Bennett’s advances to forge the NRL’s greatest ever career at the Storm.

It would be a remarkable story if he pulled on a Broncos jersey, the club he grew up in Logan supporting, for a career swansong.

$1 KAYO HOT OFFER

> BRONCOS WEEK SPECIAL FOR THE COURIER-MAIL READERS

> $1 FOR FIRST MONTH OF KAYO BASIC FOR NEW CUSTOMERS

> STREAM 25 EPIC BRONCOS GAMES TODAY + OVER 50 SPORTS

> SIGN UP AT KAYOSPORTS.COM.AU/BRONCOSWEEK

The Titans were believed to be leading the race for Smith, but Meninga admitted nothing had eventuated from the Gold Coast’s interest.

“We haven’t talked to Cam Smith, that is 100 per cent fact,” Meninga said.

“It really is that simple. There is all sorts of talk about him living on the Gold Coast and playing for us, but we haven’t spoken to him.

Will Karl Morris and the Broncos step in to sign Cameron Smith?

“I don’t have any idea what Cam is doing. I don’t know if he’s retiring. I’m in the dark like everyone else. But I know he won’t be at the Titans.

“Look, the reality is he is a Melbourne boy and the Storm have some very powerful businessmen.

“Because he was down at Mudgeeraba in a light blue shirt kicking a footy around in boots people want to think he’s going to sign with the Titans. I wasn’t behind the toilet shed trying to sign him I can tell you.

“He won’t be with us, simple as that.”

Smith’s future has become one of the most mysterious narratives in NRL history.

His Storm deal expired in November but he has yet to formally announce his retirement, despite being chaired off Suncorp Stadium by Melbourne teammates during last year’s finals series.

The Titans had the salary cap space to sign Smith, but he never responded to Meninga’s approach and will not be turning out for the Gold Coast.

“Does that mean people will finally stop asking me?” said Titans coach Justin Holbrook with a laugh.

“I was always happy with Mitch Rein, Erin Clark and Tanah Boyd (at hooker), that’s why I was never too worried about it all.

“It was good for the hype, but I said all along you need to ask him what he wants to do.

“I have never spoken to him. We will see what he ends up doing.”

$1 KAYO HOT OFFER

> BRONCOS WEEK SPECIAL FOR THE COURIER-MAIL READERS

> $1 FOR FIRST MONTH OF KAYO BASIC FOR NEW CUSTOMERS

> STREAM 25 EPIC BRONCOS GAMES TODAY + OVER 50 SPORTS

> SIGN UP AT KAYOSPORTS.COM.AU/BRONCOSWEEK

Originally published as Brisbane Broncos emerge as shock candidates to sign NRL legend Cameron Smith