An Australian international and QueenslandState of Origin representative, Smith is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.[4][5][6] During his nineteen-year career, Smith won the Dally M Medal as the NRL's player of the year in 2006 and 2017, the Golden Boot Award as the international player of the year in 2007 and 2017, and the NRL's Dally M Hooker of the Year on nine occasions.[a] He was the captain of the Storm for fifteen years,[b] during which time they won the 2012, 2017, and 2020 NRL Premierships,[c] and also Australia and Queensland from 2012[d] until his retirement from representative matches in 2018.
Considered a future Immortal,[7][8] Smith is currently the NRL's games record holder, with 430 matches played;[9] he is the only player to have played over 400 matches. He is also the highest all-time points scorer in NRL history, having surpassed Hazem El Masri's 2,418 points on 12 April 2019.[10] Smith also holds the NRL records for most goals kicked (1295), most tackles made (16917), most grand final points scored (44) and most wins (310).[11][12]
Smith's first two games for Melbourne were during the 2002 NRL season, both played at half-back (No.7). Returning to the Queensland Cup, he won the Norths Devils player of the year award in 2002.[15] The following year he played as the Storm's hooker. In 2003, the Queensland rugby league team were without a specialist hooker. After experimenting with different players in the position for the first two matches of the 2003 State of Origin series and losing both, Smith was named at hooker (No.9) for the third match. For the next six years, no other player wore the number 9 for the Maroons until this run of 19 consecutive Origins was cut due to injury. He was named the Melbourne Storm's rookie of the year in 2003.[16]
Early success and Representative selection (2005–2007)
Smith with the Storm in 2007
In 2005, Smith was named the Melbourne Storm's player of the year. The following year he first represented Australia and won the Dally M Medal. Also in Round 3 of 2006 Smith captained the club for the first time and in what became a very successful year for him as later that year he led the Storm to the 2006 NRL Grand Final. During the Grand Final, while the game was still in the balance, he was forced from the field with injury, which the Storm's loss has been largely attributed to.[17] At the Melbourne Storm awards night Smith was named the Storm's 2006 player of the year.
Smith became regular captain of the Melbourne Storm in 2008. Smith captained the Maroons for the entire 2008 State of Origin series due to the absence of regular captain Darren Lockyer. The Maroons won the series, despite losing the first match 18–10. In August 2008, Smith was named in the preliminary 46-man Kangaroos squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup,[20][21] and in October 2008 he was selected in the final 24-man Australia squad.[22] Cameron was suspended for two weeks in the 2008 finals series after a grapple tackle on Brisbane's Sam Thaiday. The suspension would have only been one week had he not have carried over points from a previous grapple tackle in round 1 of the year's competition. This meant he was suspended for Melbourne's 2008 grand final. Melbourne Storm CEO Brian Waldron and coach Craig Bellamy claimed the judiciary had made their minds up before Cameron's case was heard. The judiciary panel members then threatened to sue the club if the comments were not retracted. Cameron signed a four-year extension to his contract in December 2008, resulting in him being a contracted player through to the end of at least the 2012 season. His contract is rumoured to be partly funded by third party sponsors who do not contribute to the standard salary cap. He became the Melbourne Storm's most experienced playing player due to the retirement of Matt Geyer at the end of 2008. He became the last current Storm player in the squad who played under Mark Murray as well as the only one to have played in a season when the Storm did not make the finals due to their performance (the Storm finished 10th in 2002, the year Smith made his debut).
In April 2009, he was named in the preliminary 25 man squad to represent Queensland in the opening State of Origin match for 2009.[23] He was selected for Australia in the one-off test match against New Zealand on 8 May 2009.[24] In the preliminary final in which Melbourne defeated the Brisbane Broncos 40–10, he became Storm's highest ever point scorer, beating Matt Orford's record of 877. Smith led the Storm in their 2009 NRL Grand Final victory over the Parramatta Eels.[25] At the end of the season, he joined the Kangaroos on their campaign to win the 2009 Four Nations tournament in England. He scored the try that saved Australia from losing in the opening match and also scored in the Kangaroos' victory against England in the final.
Many of Smith's club achievements between the years of 2006 and 2010 were later placed under an asterisk after the Melbourne Storm were stripped of all honours achieved in those years due to the discovery of salary cap breaches within the club.[26]
National captaincy and Premiership success (2010–2012)
In 2010 he played in the 2010 World Club Challenge at halfback in the absence of his usual number 7 Cooper Cronk due to injury. Smith kicked 5 goals and was named man of the match. For the 2010 ANZAC Test victory, Smith was selected to play at hooker. For the first time since Game II of the 2003 Origin series, Smith wasn't wearing the number 9 for Queensland, after he failed to overcome the elbow injury he sustained playing in that test. He was replaced by Matt Ballin.[27] In Round 26 of the 2010 NRL season Smith became the first Melbourne Storm player to reach 1,000 points after successfully converting Ryan Hinchcliffe's try.
Smith was named man-of-the-match in Queensland's win in Game I and later Game III of the 2011 State of Origin series, subsequently resulting in his naming as the Wally Lewis medal winning man-of-the-series. On 3 November 2011 The annual RLIF Awards dinner was held at the Tower of London and Smith was named hooker of the year.[28]
Smith playing for the Kangaroos at Anfield in 2016
In early 2013, Smith captained the Storm to victory in the 2013 World Club Challenge over Leeds earning the title of world champions. Smith captained Australia in the 2013 ANZAC Test and played at hooker. He kicked four goals from six attempts in what was the first test match ever played in Canberra. After victory in the third and deciding game of the 2013 State of Origin series Smith was awarded the Wally Lewis Medal for player of the series, in which he captained the Queensland team which extended their record winning streak to 8 years.
On 9 June 2013, Smith played his 250th game for the Melbourne Storm, the second only player to have achieved that feat.[31]
Queensland's win in Game III of the 2014 State of Origin series made Smith the first player in State of Origin history to win 20 games.
On 30 November 2013, Smith captained Australia to a dominant 34 to 2 win against New Zealand in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup final ensuring the Australian side went through the entire tournament undefeated.
In November 2014, in the Four Nations game against England, Smith became just the sixth player to appear for Australia in 40 test matches.
On 9 July 2015, Smith captained Queensland to a 2 to 1 series win against New South Wales winning game three emphatically by 52 – 6. It was Smiths' 9th series win in ten years and his fourth series win as captain. At series end, Smith had equalled Darren Lockyer for most Queensland appearances with 36 and received his fifth man of the match award in game one to sit in equal second behind Wally Lewis for most man of the match awards in State of Origin.
On 17 July 2015, Smith became the Melbourne Storms' first 300-game player and only the 24th player in the history of the NRL to achieve such a feat. As of April 2017, Smith is one of only three current NRL players to have eclipsed 300 NRL games.
On 22 June 2016, Smith captained Queensland to their 10th series win in 11 years over New South Wales. Smith was awarded his sixth man of the match award in game 2 of Origin and was awarded the Wally Lewis medal as the player of the series for the fourth time at series end.
Setting records, World Cup and Premiership success (2017–2019)
On 10 March 2017, Smith reached 2000 career points in a match against the New Zealand Warriors, becoming the first forward, the first Queenslander, and just the fifth player in history to have achieved the milestone.[32]
On 30 July 2017, Smith became only the 3rd player in NRL history to play 350 games, behind Darren Lockyer (355) and equal with Terry Lamb. On 9 September, he played his 356th match and thereby became NRL's most capped player of all time.
On 2 December 2017, he captained the Kangaroos to another World Cup victory, defeating England in the final 6–0. He was also named in the team of the tournament.[33]
On 30 March 2018, during the round 4 fixture against the Sharks, Smith was sent to the sin bin for backchatting. This was Smith's first sin-binning in his career and the Storm lost the game 14–4 in a match that had 33 penalties in total.[34]
On 15 May 2018, Smith announced his retirement from all representative football, making him unavailable for Queensland or Australian selection.[35]
More Premiership success in COVID-affected year and retirement (2020–2021)
The Melbourne Storm 2020 NRL season saw Smith captain the team for his 13th consecutive year. The season was suspended indefinitely on 23 March 2020 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic; however, on 28 April 2020, the NRL announced it would recommence on 28 May as a 20-round competition with a revised draw. During the season, Smith landed 86 goals and scored a total of 184 points.
In Round 9, the Storm defeated the Canberra Raiders 20–14, with Smith reaching another milestone with 300 wins in the NRL. In Round 12, the Storm defeated the Knights in their 6th consecutive win, with Smith injuring his shoulder while scoring a try.
On 25 October 2020, Smith captained the Storm to another NRL Premiership, scoring 14 points including a try in a 26–20 Grand Final victory over the Penrith Panthers.[37]
On 10 March 2021, the day before the start of the NRL season, Smith announced his retirement from professional rugby league.[9]
Smith has three children with his long-term partner Barbara Johnson, whom he married in late 2011: two daughters and a son,[42] he also supports the Hawthorn Football Club,[43] and is an avid car enthusiast who is an ambassador for Holden Special Vehicles as well as an ambassador for the Ovarian Cancer Awareness campaign.[44]
Notes
↑ Smith won the Dally M Hooker of the Year in 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2020.
↑ Smith was one of the multiple captains used by Melbourne in 2006 and 2007 as part of their rotating captaincy system; he was their designated captain in the Grand Final of both of those seasons. Smith was the club's sole captain from 2008 to 2020.
↑ Officially named as captain of both Queensland and Australia from 2012 onwards, Smith had previously acted as captain in his predecessor Darren Lockyer's absence in all three games of the 2008 series for Queensland, and on five occasions for Australia between 2007 and 2011.
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↑ Masters, Roy (2 October 2006). "Broncos shine on centre stage". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax digital. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
↑ "Anzac Test Match 2007". rugbyleagueproject.org. Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson and Bill Bates. Archived from the original on 24 October 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
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