Cameron Smith Wins Rugby League World Golden Boot

Cameron Smith is the winner of the 2007 Rugby League World Golden Boot.

The Australian Test hooker topped the voting of the 14 panellists, beating Great Britain captain Jamie Peacock into second place, with Australian scrum-half Johnathan Thurston in third.

Smith captained Melbourne Storm to the NRL crown in 2007 and helped Queensland win the State of Origin. He also played twice for Australia in emphatic wins over New Zealand.

"I'm quite shocked actually," Smith told Rugby League World magazine.

"It's capped off a great year and I'm made up to have won it. It's a season I will remember for the rest of my life."

Queensland's State of Origin coach Mal Meninga, who won the award in 1990, was delighted to see Smith win, telling the magazine, "the Golden Boot is a fantastic award to win and Cameron thoroughly deserves it."

For the first time, the Golden Boot and the World XIII* were decided by a judging panel of 14, which included two websites, giving fans of the game an opportunity to have their say.

"Giving the public a say via the Total Rugby League and League Unlimited websites proved very popular and readers of the magazine will also be able to see who each panellist voted for," said the magazine's editor Richard de la Rivi