Melbourne Storm great Cameron Smith has called time on his 19-year professional rugby league career after finally announcing his retirement on the eve of the new NRL season.
Smith, widely regarded as one of the greatest players the game has ever seen, ends his playing days as a one-club man; he spent his entire club career with the Storm, for who he played a record 430 games and won three premierships.
The topic of his future has been the focus of much speculation since last year’s grand final, with suggestions he would end his career by making a move back to his home state of Queensland with either Brisbane or Gold Coast.
Smith, 37, had steadfastly refused to reveal his plans amid the speculation and his future remained unclear until the club issued a statement on Wednesday morning, before a statue of the player was unveiled outside AAMI Park.
“Cam is not only among the most decorated players the game has ever seen, he made an immeasurable contribution to our club on and off the field, and his legacy will be remembered in Melbourne forever,” the club tweeted.
He is the last to retire of Melbourne’s so-called “Big Three”, that included Cooper Cronk and Billy Slater, who were so integral to the club’s sustained success. Slater’s statue, also unveiled Wednesday, sits alongside Smith’s.
Smith also holds the NRL record for the most points scored with 2,786, including 14 in last year’s grand final.
Among his other honours are two Dally M medals, in 2006 and 2017, and two Golden Boot awards, for the player adjudged to be the best in the world, in 2007 and 2017.
Playing in eight grand finals, Smith steered the Storm to NRL premierships in 2007, 2009, 2012, 2017 and 2020, although the first two titles were later stripped for salary-cap breaches.
The durable hooker was also instrumental in Queensland’s eight-year State of Origin reign between 2006 and 2013, while he was represented Australia from 2006 until his retirement from representative football at the end of 2017.
Named the permanent Kangaroos captain in 2012, he played in 56 Tests, winning 49.
Smith was believed to have been courted by Brisbane, for a final season to help resurrect the embattled former powerhouse club, and the Gold Coast, where he has relocated with his family, but decided to hang up his boots instead as a one-club player.