Cameron Smith's long-time Test and Origin teammate Darren Lockyer has gone against the grain and tipped the Storm champion to play another season with Melbourne.
While most reports have suggested that Smith will either retire or play at another club next year, Lockyer believes that the champion hooker's recent injury lay-off may have given him fresh enthusiasm for another Storm season.
Smith, 37, has been touted to join either the Broncos or Titans for a swansong but in truth, no one knows. Melbourne are growing agitated, wanting a decision from Smith given his future will impact on the status of outstanding young hookers Harry Grant and Brandon Smith.
"My gut feel is, I reckon the freshen-up he just had has probably given him another bit of a shot in the arm and I think he'll go one more year - at the Storm," Lockyer, a Brisbane Broncos great and current director, told Wide World of Sports on QLDER.
Lockyer blasted suggestions that Smith, the NRL's first 400-gamer and a future Immortal, was acting selfishly by taking so long to make a decision.
"We have our opinions outside looking in, you don't really know what's going on behind the scenes," Lockyer said.
"Cameron and I, I played a lot of football with [him]. You don't get the success he's had at the Storm and Queensland and Australia without him being a team man.
"There's obviously something at play. He's not being selfish like some people have come out and said, there's no way that Cameron's going to be selfish about this."
Queensland icon Wally Lewis said that Smith's form was clearly still good enough for him to play on; or could enable him to leave on a distinguished high.
"To continue his form at such a high level, fantastic," Lewis said on QLDER.
"He's about to turn 38 [next season], he's heading towards that [40] direction. To be able to play the style of footy, the standard of footy [he is] and be able to leave himself, his teammates, his coach and fans at an all-time high, he's something else."
Brisbane Broncos great Sam Thaiday recently backed suggestions that the club should pursue Smith. A front-runner to become the club's new chief executive, Ben Ikin, has also said he would pursue Smith.
from WWOS https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/cameron-smith-melbourne-storm-one-more-season-darren-lockyer/23b686f6-0afb-47d7-b2e0-c670bf710bdc
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