https://www.melbournestorm.com.au/news/ ... e-in-2019/
Handshake deal leaves door open for Smith to retire in 2019
Michael Chammas, Chief Reporter
Wed 27 Feb 2019
A handshake agreement between Cameron Smith and Melbourne could mean the champion hooker hangs up the boots at the end of 2019.
Smith, who is expected to this year become the first player to notch 400 NRL games, doesn’t have a clause in his new two-year deal with Melbourne.
However, NRL.com has been told there is a mutual understanding between the skipper and the club that he could pull the pin after this season.
There was some hesitation from the Storm over whether to commit to Smith for another two years, but the game’s longest-serving player has assured the club he would be in close dialogue with coach Craig Bellamy throughout this season and will decide together if this should be his last.
Smith, who will be 36 by the end of this year, has arguably been in career-best form in recent seasons and has shown no signs of slowing down.
However, he is not naive to the fact his form, and mental capacity to keep playing, could change very quickly.
"Just to clarify it, I’m happy to be up front – there’s no option in the contract. It’s a two-year contract," Smith told NRL.com when asked about the potential of finishing up this year.
"But when we were having discussions about me re-signing for two years I made it quite clear to everyone involved that I’d be discussing where I was at through the 2019 season with Craig and how he felt I was travelling.
"If he felt that it was better to finish off this year then I would take that on board. But before it even got to Craig I would know myself. I would know whether I was happy with my form or whether my involvement or contribution to the team was deteriorating.”
Part of Smith’s desire to sign a two-year deal was to avoid an undoubted media frenzy over whether he would be extending his career into 2020.
But a potential retirement at the end of the year is unlikely to be disruptive on the Storm given they have a ready-made replacement in Brandon Smith.
The Storm are conscious that if Smith were to retire, it would be easier to plan their salary cap structure for the future if he didn’t wait until after this season to decide.
As it stands Smith is confident he will be able to play on for another two years and notch up a remarkable 19 seasons as an NRL player.
"I was feeling that good that instead of locking away 12 months, why not two years," he said.
"Because in my mind if I locked in 12 months and then it got to May or June this year, then I’d have to start that whole process again.
"So I asked the question of the club, would two years suit the club.
"It took some time for them to discuss that and position themselves around the two years. They came back saying they were on board and that they were happy with it.
"I signed a two-year deal because at this stage I feel confident of getting those two years out. But if at any time throughout 2019 I feel like the game has got away from me a little bit or I just can’t handle the week to week grind, I’ll be more than happy to have a conversation with Craig about my position at the club."
The Storm have plans to use Smith differently in 2019. Brandon Smith is expected to spend some time at hooker, meaning Smith will be used as an extra half/ball-playing lock to help direct his team around the paddock.
The Storm hope having Cameron Smith sit behind the ruck will help minimise the impact of having no Billy Slater, whose guidance and direction was pivotal to Melbourne for many years.