Just shy of his 37th birthday, Cameron Smith has finally been dethroned as the best player in his position, according to rugby league great Peter Sterling.
Smith took the Australian Test No.9 jersey way back in 2006 and has been the undisputed king of the hookers ever since.
However, that title should now go to Raiders star Josh Hodgson, says Sterling, after an outstanding performance from the Englishman helped his side to their third straight victory in Melbourne.
Canberra have firmed as premiership favourites after a clinical Round 3 performance that made the Storm look second-rate in their own stadium.
Sporting a full beard, Smith was noticeably outplayed by his opposite number in the Raiders' 22-6 victory, with Hodgson at the centre of several of the contest's most pivotal moments, including a pin-point 40/20 and a trademark strip on Jesse Bromwich as the Raiders defended their line late in the second half.
Hodgson has been breathing down Smith's neck for about three years now and Sterling said he'd finally done enough to steal the title off the player many consider rugby league's GOAT.
"All of their playmakers are playing some great football," Sterling told Wide World of Sports' Sterlo's Wrap of the Raiders.
"(Fellow Englishman, halfback George) Williams is going to be very, very good, but I don't think there is a better No.9 in the game than Josh Hodgson.
" ... I think he's just about eclipsed Cameron Smith as the best No.9 in the game. That's based on the second half of last year and what I've seen in the first three games of this year.
"I think it's undeniable, the claims."
Smith last won the Dally M Medal in 2017 and was named Dally M Hooker of the Year and Dally M Captain of the Year last year.
Yet after just one loss this season, the critics are starting to poke holes in a Storm side that Phil Gould says is yet to come to terms with the loss of Cooper Cronk, who left for the Roosters immediately after Melbourne's last premiership victory in 2017.
Gould yesterday told Wide World of Sports' The Final Whistle that he didn't expect the Storm to win the premiership this year and would not be surprised if they didn't finish in the top four.
If Craig Bellamy's men are to defy those critics it will likely take a huge season from Smith as a hooker with increasing playmaker responsibilities.
Sterling said Smith was "still a magnificent football player", claiming the changing of the guard was more a case of Hodgson reaching the peak of his powers than Smith showing signs of decline.
"I think the influence Josh Hodgson has on the Canberra Raiders, his football team is as profound now and from what we've seen from him over his last half a season and three rounds this year, he's a big part of the reason the Canberra Raiders are the premiership favourites in my mind."
Sterling concluded that if he was picking an All-Stars team tomorrow, Hodgson would be his No.9 and "his claims would be undeniable".
"That's taking nothing away from Cameron Smith, who continues to play great football, and continues to be the fulcrum of everything good Melbourne do but you look at the Canberra results against Melbourne and everybody else, Josh Hodgson is the man."
As well as Saturday night's victory, the Raiders also beat the Storm in Melbourne twice at the back end of last year, 22-18 in Round 22 and 12-10 in week one of the finals series.
Following Saturday night's result they have firmed into outright premiership favourites with most bookmakers, quoted at $5 to win the title by Sportsbet, with the Storm still second favourites at $5.50.
from WWOS http://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/cameron-smith-dethroned-best-hooker-rugby-league-peter-sterling/7b6704b9-ba6a-4afa-ae20-77795f546db4
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