So, here we are, some 136 days after Cameron Smith hoisted the Telstra Premiership trophy skywards on seemingly the perfect stage on which to say goodbye, the Melbourne maestro has announced his retirement.
Just as he controlled the tempo of his 430 NRL games in Storm colours, Smith did so for his big announcement. He’d never been rushed or flustered on the field so why would he let anyone dictate terms to him now? I still felt like my form was good enough to play in the NRL but once I spent good quality time with my family up in Queensland, I knew the time was right to walk away, the 37-year-old said on Wednesday.