Cameron Smith: Australia, Queensland and Storm great retires, aged 37
- Published
Cameron Smith (right) was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia by the Queen for services to rugby league
Former Australia, Queensland and Melbourne Storm captain Cameron Smith has retired at the age of 37.
Smith played a record 430 National Rugby League games at club level and played in 56 Tests for the Kangaroos.
He won two World Cups, 11 State of Origin series with the Maroons and three NRL titles, including in 2020.
"It felt like the right time," Smith said. "You couldn't have asked for more than finishing with a premiership at a club I've played my whole career with."
Brisbane-born Smith made his name in Melbourne, helping the Storm become a force following his 2002 debut, and transferred his form to representative football.
Queensland won 11 of 12 Origins between 2005 and 2017 under his guidance and Australia won back-to-back World Cups, one in each hemisphere.
"He's the greatest player I've ever seen," Storm coach Craig Bellamy said at the unveiling of a statue featuring both Smith and former club and country team-mate Billy Slater - who retired in 2018 - at Melbourne's AAMI Park.
"His record of well over 400 games - no-one has done that. He's played over 100 representative games and the success he's had as a captain has not been done in the [Australian] game and I can't see it happening again.
"It's hard to described his effect on our club but it's how long he's done it for. To do it for near on 20 years is unparalleled."
His haul would have included two further NRL premierships had the club administration not been penalised for salary cap breaches, which saw their 2007 and 2009 championships stripped.
He twice won the Dally M medal for 'best and fairest' in the competition in 2006 and 2017, the hooker of the year award on nine occasions, and was twice winner of the Golden Boot, given to the world's best player.
A career in pictures
Cameron Smith made his Queensland debut just a year after making his NRL bow for Melbourne Storm
Cameron Smith's first taste of Premiership success came in 2007, but the prize was later stripped because of salary cap breaches by the Storm's administration
Cameron Smith played a big role in Queensland establishing dominance in State of Origin, winning 11 of 12 series between 2006 and 2017
Cameron Smith hoisted the Provan-Summons Trophy aloft in 2012, and nothing could take that honour away from him and the Storm - it was the first of three titles
After the shock defeat by New Zealand in 2008, Cameron Smith made sure Australia were the world's best at the 2013 World Cup, helping the Kangaroos to victory over the Kiwis at Old Trafford. He won it again in 2017.
Cameron Smith's final Australia appearance was to lead out the Kangaroos in the 2017 World Cup final at Suncorp in Brisbane - the scene of so many triumphs with Queensland in State of Origin
In the end, Cameron Smith got the perfect farewell, staying a one-club man with Melbourne, and finishing his career with the NRL premiership after victory over Penrith Panthers.
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