The hottest rumour doing the rounds at the moment is that if Cameron Smith plays on next season, it won’t be in Melbourne.
As hard as it might be to believe, and as unpalatable as it may be for Storm supporters, the street-corner tip is that if the 37-year-old wants to continue his remarkable career, it will be at Brisbane or the Gold Coast.
It seems hard to believe that the Storm have the money in their salary cap to accommodate Smith, as well as Harry Grant and Brandon Smith.
Investing massive dollars in three hookers would put their cap out of kilter and force them to leave holes in other sections of their roster.
They have no desire to lose Brandon Smith or Grant. Nor, you would think, would Cameron Smith want the club to deal away their future so he can squeeze one more year out of a body that has somehow defied modern science.
Rugby league is riddled with rumours. Some come true. Many don’t. Whether there is any truth to the Smith rumour, we should know before he makes his return from injury against their bitter rivals Manly on Sunday.
The club won’t push Smith to make a decision but they need to know and so does he. As his future continues to hang in the balance, so does the respective futures of Grant and Brandon Smith.
Outside Cameron Smith and Damien Cook, you could mount a compelling and convincing argument that Brandon Smith and Grant are the best hookers in the game. A pair of No.9s that are coveted by several clubs.
Melbourne have them both under long-term contract and, despite speculation one or both could depart, they have no intention of letting them go. If anything, the constant talk about Grant and Brandon Smith has made Melbourne even more determined to hold on to them.
Canterbury and the Wests Tigers can hold out hope but it appears forlorn. The Tigers, in fact, are ready to move on as they conceded Grant will be returning to Melbourne at the end of the year.
They don’t want to risk missing out on their other targets by keeping money up their sleeve for Grant. Regardless, it appears a moot point.
Melbourne have every intention of bringing Grant back next season. As for Brandon Smith, the belief in Melbourne is that his priority is to be part of the starting side, no matter where he plays.
Given as much, it seems hard to envisage a way they could also accommodate Cameron Smith at the club next year.
The sense is that Smith recognises as much so his decision has become one of choosing between retirement and life somewhere other than Melbourne.
The Broncos would no doubt take Smith in a heartbeat and they will have the salary cap room. They have the money they saved when David Fifita chose the Gold Coast and they are likely to free up even more in coming weeks as the future of Tevita Pangai Jr is finalised.
Finances won’t be the problem.
The bigger question is whether Smith would be willing to extend his career to help resurrect the Broncos. God knows they need his help, as much off the field as on it.
Smith would instantly improve a culture that would appear rotten to the core.
The Titans have publicly indicated a desire to sign Smith but privately indicate that is not the case. Smith, as always, will have the final say. Perhaps he and the Storm will surprise everyone and continue a relationship that has stretched nearly 20 years.
More likely he will call it a day and allow the Storm’s new stars to shine. Rumour has it a decision is close. Then again, it’s only a rumour.
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