Cameron Smith: Melbourne Storm captain considers playing on in 2021
At the NRL 2020 launch Cameron Smith reveals how close he came to retiring at the end of 2019, but is now weighing up extending his career into a 20th season.
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Storm champion Cameron Smith has revealed how close he came to retirement as the former Queensland skipper considers playing on for a remarkable 20th season in 2021.
The most-capped player in history with 411 top-grade games, Smith was a revitalised figure at the NRL season launch, insisting he had rediscovered his zest for rugby league following Melbourne’s finals exit last season.
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But it was his absence from another gala event last year - the Dally M Awards - that laid bare Smith’s inner-demons and how seriously he considered walking away from rugby league.
Smith admits Melbourne’s 14-6 loss to the Roosters in last year’s preliminary final, shattering the Storm’s title hopes after they had charged to the minor premiership, left him gutted and weighing up his future.
“I guess it (retiring) seems genuine at the time,” Smith said as he reflected on the Storm’s failed 2019 campaign.
“Because you’re feeling such disappointment about the result and the way the season ended ... you question if that’s the right decision to just finish there.
“We had such a good regular season where we finished minor premiers by three games - it was one of the better seasons any club has had in the history of the game - and to go out the way we did without firing a shot was really disappointing.
“I wasn’t trying to keep everyone guessing (about his future).
“Last year was a tough year. And that disappointment, particularly after the prelim, it magnified a few things ... I think the disappointment took over more than anything.
“A couple of weeks away from the game and once the season was over I pulled my head a bit and stopped carrying on, and knew I wanted to play on fairly early.
“Once you put the disappointment aside, and you have a bit of a time to reflect on the season and what we achieved, and I reviewed my own season, I was still happy to play on.
“I was hungry to play on, and that’s why I did.”
Despite his iconic status, Smith copped brickbats last season. There was a furore over the NRL gifting his wife Barbara a diamond ring as part of his 400-game celebrations. Then came the drama surrounding Smith’s tackling technique in a game against Canberra.
At season’s end, Storm coach Craig Bellamy lashed out, saying the constant criticism was wearing Smith down.
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Smith turns 37 in June and is off-contract at season’s end. It is natural to assume he will retire sometime this season, but the crafty hooker says there is every chance he will soldier on in 2021 and possibly reach a staggering 450 games.
“I find it difficult to make an early call (on his future) because I don’t feel like it’s a burden on me or a challenge to go to training,” he said.
“There is not one moment where I go to training and think I don’t want to be here.
“So much advice I’ve had from other players who have finished is do it for as long as you can.
“As long as you do it keep playing, because once you call time that’s it, there’s no coming back, particularly at my age.
“If I finish now and have a year off and think I still want to play, there’s no coming back at my age.
“The decision for me will be final. Once I call time I won’t be playing NRL again.”
Originally published as Cameron Smith: Melbourne Storm captain considers playing on in 2021