Melbourne captain Cameron Smith insists he doesn’t “fear life after football” but still won’t say if Sunday’s NRL grand final will be his last game.
The Storm hooker rates the 2020 season, where they have predominantly been based on the Sunshine Coast and not played once in front of their fans at AAMI Park, among the most challenging of his 19-year career.
But the 37-year-old will enter Sunday’s clash with Penrith – set to be his 430th in the NRL – in typically good health and happy to string out any retirement announcements.
“It’s no different to the last three months (of speculation) really, it’s been going on all year and I am really comfortable with that,” he said on Monday.
“I totally understand there is going to be interest in what I am going to be doing next year but players retire all the time.
“I don’t fear life after football; I am comfortable with where I am at and if this is to be my last game then I will have to adjust to life after playing footy.
“I am lucky to have three beautiful children and lovely wife who have sacrificed plenty in their own life to enable me to play for such a long time. Moving forward that is all I need.”
Entering their fourth decider in the last five years, the club and Smith have attracted their fair share of critics for a variety of reasons, including the apparent delay in Smith’s decision to play on.
Smith’s teammate Christian Welch told AAP after Friday’s preliminary final win that it was embarrassing, but Smith insists it doesn’t bother him.
“We can’t control what opinions people have of us as a club or individuals,” Smith said.
“That’s fine, we’re just going to control what we can control and not looking for any sort of acknowledgement from anyone; we just want to satisfy ourselves.
“Outside of 2010 for different reasons (when stripped of two premierships for salary cap breaches) this has been the most difficult season.
“It’s been a remarkable effort for this team to make the grand final, but what we’ve done over the past 22 weeks isn’t going to get us a result on Sunday.”
