Cameron Smith retires after a legendary career

Just a day before the start of the 2021 Australian National Rugby League season, Melbourne Storm's legendary captain has announced his retirement. This was the Smith and Melbourne Storm's official announcement since the club unveiled his statue in front of their stadium.

This marked the end of a successful 19-year career of the 37-year-old legend. There was a lot of speculation over the past year about his potential retirement. However, none of the sources, journalists, or media in Australia didn't have any concrete information.

The rumors started when Smith and Storm won the grand final during the previous season. But this story was killed when Brisbane Broncos inquired about Smith as they wanted to bring in the legend for at least a season to revive their team.

Before Smith's Retirement

Smith is the last piece of Melbourne's The Big Three to retire. Both Bill Slater and Cooper Cronk retired earlier. The three were vital for the success of the team over the last two decades. Both Smith's and Slater's statues were revealed side by side next to Melbourne Storm's home ground.

Just a couple of weeks earlier, the official social media channel of Storm announced that Smith would be retiring from his professional career. Smith has officially become the highest-capped NRL player with 430 total performances, all of them for Melbourne Storm.

He also played 56 games for Australia's National Rugby Team and 42 appearances in the State of Origin. Smith debuted for Storm back in 2002, and since he stepped into the pitch, it was clear that he was going to be one of the all-time greats of the NRL.

The Career of Cameron Smith

Since his debut in 2002, Smith has accomplished things only a few have. Smith played in 8 grand finals, winning 5 of them. He led Storm to NRL victories in these seasons:

●      2007

●      2009

●      2012

●      2017

●      2020

However, there are some controversies regarding his first two titles. Officially, these titles have been stripped from Melbourne Storm because the club exceeded salary caps during those seasons.

Throughout his career, Smith earned many individual rewards and accolades. He earned the Dally M Medal twitch during his career (in 2006 and 2017). He was also the winner of the Dally M Hooker of the Year Award 9 times. He was also named the best player in the world two times (Golden Boot Award):

●      2007

●      2017

Apart from holding the record for the most-capped player in the NRL, he also scored the most points in that league with 2,786 points. This is over 300 points more than Hazem el Masri. He also played 320 games at Melbourne as the captain.

Praises Coming in for an NRL Legend

Smith's former teammate Bill Slater was one of the first to pay tribute to his successful career. When the club unveiled their statues during the ceremony, Slater said that Smith is one of the greatest rugby players ever. He also added that he hadn't met a more influential player during his career.

He also spoke about the effects Smith had on his career personally. He stated that he was an influence both on and off the pitch. He said that he felt honored to be there alongside Smith while he is announcing his retirement.

Longtime coach Craig Bellamy said that we may never see a player that good ever again. He added that Smith is the best player he has ever seen. He said that his longevity and winning record are unmatched, and there someone special is needed to match his results.

New Challenges Await

The Storm has started the season with a victory over Rabbitohs, even without Smith. The expectations are high for the season, but everyone knows just how much he will be missed. With many great new challenges waiting ahead, we are sure that other players will be able to perform brilliantly, no matter the circumstances.

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After Smith's Retirement

Smith might be officially retired as a rugby player, but he intends to remain active in the sport. He said that staying in the league in some form is what he intends to do. Smith stated that rugby is his life, and he has dedicated himself to the sport for over 20 years.

Smith enjoyed every moment of his playing career, and now he intends to contribute to the sport in another way. Nobody knows what his future role will be as a director, manager, or coach. The chances are that he will stay in Melbourne and take a role at the club.