League Express editor MARTYN SADLER pays tribute to the captain of the Melbourne Storm, who may or may not have played his last game of Rugby League in leading Melbourne Storm to a Grand Final victory over Penrith Panthers on Sunday.
How impressive is Melbourne Storm captain Cameron Smith?
At the age of 37 he guided his team to a Grand Final triumph against the Penrith Panthers at the ANZ Stadium on Sunday.
It was a magical event, played in front of around 40,000 spectators who were allowed into the stadium.
The Storm led 26-0 at one point early in the second half, and the game looked to be over.
But the Panthers fought back to 26-20, helped by two late sinbinnings of Storm players.
A game that had looked to be a routine victory for Melbourne ended up being thrilling for the last couple of minutes.
But the Storm held on.
And Smith, as he always does, spoke brilliantly to the crowd after the game.
The oldest player to win a Premiership since 1922, he is a superb ambassador for Rugby League and the NRL, whether or not he decides to retire this year.
Perhaps he will make an announcement about that this week, but he neatly sidestepped all questions about that after the match.
I can certainly see him playing a major role in the administration of Rugby League in future years.
And I’ll be very happy to see him doing that.
Check out Martyn Sadler’s ‘Talking Rugby League’ column in this week’s edition of League Express. Subscribe to the printed or digital edition at https://www.totalrl.com/league-express/
