Cameron Smith is one of the greatest NRL players ever — and now it’s official that he has played his last game of league.
The announcement that opponents had longed for, and teammates had feared, finally came the day before the start of the season.
If he had gone on, it would have been his 20th season in the league.
There was always the feeling that his victorious end to 2020, steering the Storm to grand final victory over the Panthers, was going to be his farewell.
The off-season stretched on and then teams began coming back to training.
Smith had headed back to Queensland with his family, giving hope to the Broncos and Titans — but the longer things went on without a definitive statement, the more likely it was that he would hang up the boots.
Fittingly, it was at the unveiling of statues in honour of him and former teammate Billy Slater, outside AAMI Park — the home ground of the club he became synonymous with — that Smith brought his career to an official close.
He told the gathering media that he felt like he still had the form to go round again in the NRL, but other considerations came first.
“At the end of the day, once I spent good-quality time with my family up in Queensland, I knew that it was the right time to finish and it just gives me the opportunity now to enjoy what’s going to be the next phase, the next chapter of my life,” he said.
“Hopefully it will involve rugby league in some capacity, but the most important thing for me is that I get to enjoy quality time with my wife and my three children.”
Storm coach Craig Bellamy was adamant Smith stood alone in the history of rugby league.
“I would have no hesitation in my opinion that he is the best player the game has ever seen,” Bellamy said.
If you put aside all the accolades and the titles and watched the slightly-balding footballer in his mid-to-late 30s amble around the field, it could be hard to understand what all the fuss was about.
But if you looked closely and broke down his game, it became apparent even in the late stages of his career just why Smith was so good.
Clever contributions
From the position of hooker, Smith was easy to recognise as the man picking up the ball from a play-the-ball.
That’s where you saw him most, directing play, teeing up teammates and laying a platform to go forward.
He hit targets in stride with passes and dashes out from behind the ruck for cunning metres.
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But unlike other elite hookers in the competition, Smith changed gear when his side was on the attack near the try line.
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He adopted the role of playmaker in the middle of the field as a first or even second receiver, usually the job of a half-back.
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That put him closer to the moments that matter in rugby league — when a ball-runner engages the defensive line or a kick is played through.
He was an elite kicker, with a boot that manufactured tries. Both on the line …
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… and from his own half, using his vision to take advantage of the speed of winger Josh Addo-Carr.
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That combination of skills placed him in the top 10 creators in the NRL and the only hooker among them.
| Player | Club | Try assists |
|---|---|---|
| Shaun Johnson | Cronulla | 23 |
| Jarome Luai | Penrith | 22 |
| Cody Walker | Souths | 21 |
| Daly Cherry-Evans | Manly | 20 |
| Scott Drinkwater | North Qld | 19 |
| Luke Keary | Sydney | 18 |
| Benji Marshall | Wests | 17 |
| Nathan Cleary | Penrith | 17 |
| Clinton Gutherson | Parramatta | 17 |
| CAMERON SMITH | Melbourne | 15 |
The dirty work
Unlike the other players in the above table, Smith defended in the middle of the defensive line.
That meant 120-kilogram props running at him, tiring him and trying to expose his ageing body.
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Yet he did what needed to be done, missing just one tackling assignment every 25 in his final season — on par with other top hookers a decade younger, such as Penrith’s Api Koroisau or South Sydney’s Damien Cook.
But Smith’s mastery was in controlling the tempo of the other team.
In and around the tackle, Smith inserted himself into tackles, manipulating the ball carrier a certain way or simply piling on.
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In each case he was focused on one thing: slowing down the play the ball.
One of a kind
This uncanny recipe for relentless involvement meant Smith was never far from the action.
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His quick thinking and anticipation made him a glory magnet.
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And if that’s not enough, he was also one of the game’s most-reliable goalkickers.
Smith had his best season ever from the kicking tee, averaging more than four successful kicks out of every five attempts.
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His greatest achievement though? That he was still doing all this, at age 37, having played 430 NRL matches.
That’s more than 50 higher than any player ever, and more than 100 higher than anyone still playing today.
