NRL 2020: Brisbane Broncos coach Anthony Seibold confirms Cam Smith interest

The Broncos have confirmed they would be interested in recruiting Cameron Smith, but the Storm won’t let him go easily.

Cameron Smith has a big decision to make in 2021.

Brisbane coach Anthony Seibold said the club would consider making a play for Cameron Smith as the Broncos slump to the lowest ebb in the club’s history.

The Melbourne Storm veteran is off contract at the end of the season and is yet to reveal whether he wants to lace up the boots in 2021.

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Courier Mail rugby league reporter Peter Badel said on NRL 360 last night if he was in charge of the Broncos, he would try and recruit Smith to play for them next season, then offer him a deal to keep him in Brisbane so he could oversee a cultural overhaul of the flagship club.

The Broncos have won just three games all year and Seibold is under pressure to keep his job, despite being in the second year of a five-year contract.

Boom forward David Fifita has signed with Gold Coast for the next three seasons and while his loss is a huge blow, the silver lining is it will free up salary cap space for the Broncos to add some much-needed class to their roster.

“Of course, it is something we would consider but it is a really long bow. Would he add something to us? Could he add something to us? Of course he could,” Seibold said when asked about the prospect of recruiting Smith.

“I worked with Smithy for five years at club level and rep level so I do have a really good working relationship with him. It is not something I have spoken to Cameron about or he has spoken to me about.

“A little bit of experience would be something to add to the group, going forward. I am not sure how long he wants to play for but Cameron would add not only experience but leadership and quality on and off the field to any organisation or any team.”

Smith hails from Queensland and in an opinion piece today, Badel argued he would be the perfect man to lift the Broncos off their knees both on and off the field.

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Seeing Cameron Smith in any other colours would look seriously weird.

But Melbourne chairman Matt Tripp says the club is desperate to keep Smith at the club whether he decides to play on next year or not.

“Cameron is contracted until the end of the year. At some point in the next month or so we will attempt to either renegotiate a contract for Cameron as a player or we will try and arrange something for him whereby he will remain committed and part of the Melbourne Storm in some capacity for hopefully many years to come,” Tripp said on SEN Breakfast.

“First and foremost I would try and convince him to stay. He is so important to our club.

“Whether that’s in a playing capacity or whether that is being one of the coaches, sitting on our board, there are many options for Cameron in terms of what he may do. All of those options to my mind involve the Melbourne Storm and certainly not a Queensland club.”

Melbourne faces a conundrum about what to do with its hookers in 2021. It loaned young gun Harry Grant to the Wests Tigers this season so he could gain first grade experience, rather than be stuck behind Smith in reserve grade all year.

Grant is having an outstanding season and is leading the Dally M leaderboard after 11 rounds. He has said he will return to Melbourne at the end of the year but if Smith chooses to keep playing, the 22-year-old may be inclined to chase opportunities elsewhere rather than play second fiddle.

The Storm also boast Kiwi Test rake Brandon Smith on their books, but his versatility has seen him come off the bench and play in the back row or take over the hooking duties from Smith if the 37-year-old moves into the halves during a game.

The option of Smith playing halfback next year has been raised as a possible solution to keeping the trio happy. In this scenario, if Smith agreed to play first receiver, Grant could slot in at hooker and Brandon Smith could keep his spot on the bench or move into the second row.