Storm skipper keen to play on after 2015

Melbourne skipper Cameron Smith doesn't know if he'll be playing alongside newly re-signed fullback Billy Slater at the NRL club in 2015.

It's not that Smith is considering playing anywhere else, it's just that he doesn't think his body will be up to it.

"I'd love to stay here, it's just that I don't know if I can get to 2015," said Smith, who at 27 was born on exactly the same day as Slater.

"I do a fair few more tackles than Billy does," he added with a laugh.

"When you've for Fuifui Moimoi running at you and Nathan Hindmarsh it takes its toll.

"But you ask anyone who plays at this club, you'd love to stay as long as you can...why would you want to be anywhere else?"

The skipper, himself signed until 2014, said the contract extension for Slater, who has stated he wants to be a Storm player for life, was a coup for the club.

"It's huge, it's great for the club and for the city for Bill to re-sign," Smith said.

"Looking to the future it's great for our recruitment, to say that you're going to get a chance to play alongside one of the best players in the game, it will hold a lot of weight."

After a sluggish start to the season following shoulder surgery, Slater turned in another starring performance in the team's seven-try 38-0 romp over Parramatta.

As well as saving a certain try, he scored one of his own and had a hand in at least two others.
The Test custodian and father of two said negotiations started about six months ago, although he wasn't considering going elsewhere.

"I was always happy to stay at this club and I feel very privileged to have the opportunity to stay because a lot of my good mates would have loved to have stayed but had to be moved on...

"This is my ninth season now and this club's given me a lot and I feel this is where I belong."

http://nrl.com/storm-skipper-keen-to-play-on-after-2015/tabid/10874/newsid/62200/default.aspx

“Cheats” or not there is still a lot of club pride at Melbourne and despite what they say about 2010 being a playing for “nothing” season I cannot disagree more. The only thing that the club wasn’t playing for in 2010 is premiership points; the club was playing for pride, each other, their club and most importantly its fans. I think they did well.



To come out and stand together strong as a club after such an incident shows how strong the club is. They could have thrown every game and not given 100% as there were no premiership points regardless of a win or a loss. But they didn’t from what I can tell they gave it their all.



Clearly there is a lot of pride in the club as the resigning of Billy Slater would confirm, You wouldn’t resign for a club you didn’t have pride in.....Surely?



It would be great to see some players play on forever (Slater, Marshall, Inglis (when he’s on) Cam Smith and Lockyer Just to name a few) but the reality is that people get injured and people get old. I enjoy watching a variety of players play and The Storm Boys would be very high on that list.



I’d love to see Cam Smith and Billy Slater play on past 2015. But we’ll just have to wait and see...

I think Cam Smith will play on past his 2014 contract. He is 27 and will be 30 in 2014. I think he is the best player in the competition and in the world, unless he gets a really bad injury he will play on until he is about 32.

Although he may want the experience of playing in the ESL, like Bedsy before him.

Which brings me to my next point, it is great to watch players such like himself, Slater and the above listed and a few more but when they leave there will be the next kid who jumps into his place.

I remember when Darren Lockyer moved from fullback to five-eighth, everybody said who are is gonna be the next fullback for Australia? a little quite jockey named Billy Slater put his hand up.

When Karmicheal Hunt left the NRL, they all said "how are we going to replace him", round one of the next season saw a replacement emerge in Josh Hoffman who is just as good.

Folau left? and enter Widdop.

Rugby League has an incredible ability to find the next super star just as the old ones leave.