Storm skipper Cameron Smith injured but it’s not the end yet

Melbourne captain Cam Smith was hurt in his 423rd NRL match in a blunt reminder that one serious injury could spell the end of his career.

Melbourne’s electric fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen tries to evade the Newcastle defence at Sunshine Coast Stadium. Picture: Getty Images

All things being equal, Cam Smith will rack the cue in the manner of someone actually racking a cue.

He’ll be like the laid-back bloke who finally gives up a pool table after hogging it all night at the pub.

He’ll just sort of shrug his shoulders and hang up his gear and go grab a schooner and say something along the lines of, “Thanks for the game.” Hysteria is unlikely.

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That’s the expectation. The reality is that things are not always equal and the old fella, like any old fella in sport, can fall victim to an injury that terminates his career ahead of time.

The possibility became fearfully apparent on Sunday when he departed Sunshine Coast Stadium in Melbourne’s 26-16 win over Newcastle, prompting breathless suggestions that oh my goodness, was that Smith’s last stand in the NRL?

It was all over the top and speculative: Smith sustained a relatively minor left shoulder injury while scoring a try in his 423rd game.

He’s certain to play again in the next few weeks, perhaps next week, and yet his departure was a blunt reminder that one physical ailment could end the career that has topped all careers.

“When you lose your leader like that in Cam Smith, everyone needs to step up,” Cameron Munster said. “He does so much for our team … calming us all down … obviously a massive loss for us … our leadership we’re going to miss but hopefully it’s nothing too serious and he’s back next week.”

Cameron Smith leads his Melbourne Storm team onto the field to face Newcastle Knights on Sunday. Picture: Getty Images

Smith was having a fine old afternoon until then, his fingerprints all over the table until he hobbled away late in the first half, failing to play more than 40 minutes for only the second time in his 423-match career.

When Kenny Bromwich found clear air, looked left and saw the speedster Josh Addo-Carr, then looked right and saw the more lumbering 38-year-old Smith, he did what anyone would do … gave it to his captain. Smith took the ball at 4.32pm, finished his 25m run at about 4.35pm, grounded the ball with his left hand while crashing to the turf, mucked up his left shoulder, threw the ball in the air, roared in delight, and was out of action soon after.

The Storm had too much speed, too much starch, too much Munster and too much Tino Fa’asuamaleaui for the result to be in any real doubt.

Eventually, Smith will call it a night. The only question is, when? He’s played more games of pool than anyone, he can still win games on his ear, or blindfolded, or hitting trick shots behind his back, or left-handed, or right-handed, making up a few new rules as he goes along.

He’s not morally opposed to flicking one of his balls into a corner pocket when you’re not looking. Nor is he against accidentally-on-purpose bumping the table when another of his balls needs one more roll to drop.

But it’s getting close to midnight and while he can kick on if he wants, there’s a complication bigger then Nathan Buckley wanting a hit of tennis with Alicia Molik. A sharpshooting young fella named Harry Grant has his coins on the table and if he doesn’t get a game soon, he’ll walk.

The accomplished Smith – a Walter Lindrum of league, or at least a Fast Eddie Felson – has earned the right to take as long as he wants to decide if he will chalk his cue again.

But in dawdling over his decision, he’s complicating matters for a joint he cares deeply about.

The Melbourne Storm’s biggest problem this year is working out what’s happening next year with Smith.

The 60-year-old coach, Craig Bellamy, may like to give the 38-year-old Smith a nudge and suggest “while we’re young, mate.”

A traditional pool table is a rectangle of 3.6m by 1.83.

The playing field at Sunshine Coast Stadium on Sunday was 100m by 68m.

Smith methodically moved it around like he was knocking off all the bigs, and then the black, in a game of eight-ball, seemingly oblivious to the opposition, knowing every angle, every blade of grass, the right shots to play and when to play them.

Bert Ironmonger played Test cricket at age 50 and while we can assume Smith won’t continue that long – perhaps a dangerous assumption! – he’s obviously going well enough for another year or two. If he wants them. And if his body holds up.

It matters not how eager an athlete’s brain is. All things being equal, more often than not, their body packs it in first.