{"id":36481,"date":"2021-02-19T05:24:27","date_gmt":"2021-02-19T06:24:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=36481"},"modified":"2021-02-19T06:56:57","modified_gmt":"2021-02-19T06:56:57","slug":"giant-storm-decision-gives-clue-to-smiths-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=36481","title":{"rendered":"Giant Storm decision gives clue to Smith's future"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Storm<\/a> have all but confirmed that Cameron Smith will not be on Melbourne's books for season 2021 by not naming the NRL legend in their new leadership group.<\/p>\n

And while the Titans had long been considered the front-runners to nab Smith's signature<\/a>, comments from Gold Coast head of performance Mal Meninga have made the Brisbane Broncos the most likely club to sign the 430-game champion.<\/p>\n

The Storm can be all but ruled out as a potential 2021 home for Smith after the club today announced Jesse Bromwich and Dale Finucane as co-captains. Joining the veteran forwards in Melbourne's leadership group are Kenny Bromwich, Cameron Munster, Felise Kaufusi and Christian Welch.<\/p>\n

The fact that Smith last year bought a house on the Gold Coast and enrolled his kids in school on the Glitter Strip had made the Titans his chief suitor. The dual Dally M medalist's links to the Titans then strengthened when he was on Tuesday spotted kicking a footy at Firth Park on the Gold Coast and posing for a photo with a fan<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

However, comments from Meninga this week have cast serious doubt over the Titans' ties to Smith<\/a>.<\/p>\n

"We haven't talked to Cam Smith – that is 100 per cent fact," Meninga told The Courier Mail.<\/p>\n

"It really is that simple. There is all sorts of talk about him living on the Gold Coast and playing for us, but we haven't spoken to him.<\/p>\n

"I don't have any idea what Cam is doing. I don't know if he's retiring. I'm in the dark like everyone else. But I know he won't be at the Titans.<\/p>\n

"Because he was down at Mudgeeraba in a light-blue shirt kicking a footy around in boots people want to think he's going to sign with the Titans. I wasn't behind the toilet shed trying to sign him, I can tell you.<\/p>\n

"He won't be with us – simple as that."<\/p>\n

\"<\/p>\n

Meninga again attempted to quash rumours of Smith linking with the Titans at yesterday's Fox League launch.<\/p>\n

"I haven't spoken to Cameron," Meninga said.<\/p>\n

"He's the hardest man in the world to get a hold of.<\/p>\n

"It's all speculation. Everyone assumes he's coming to the Titans. He's not on the radar.<\/p>\n

"You should ask (Broncos coach) Kevvie (Walters) about Cameron so I don't have to answer these questions anymore."<\/p>\n

But Broncos chairman Karl Morris suggested the club was interested in Smith in an interview with The Courier Mail.<\/p>\n

"Look, who wouldn't want Cam Smith? He is a legend of the game," Morris said.<\/p>\n

"But I can honestly say I haven't spoken to him and I don't know anyone at the Broncos who has spoken to him.<\/p>\n

"The ball is in his court. If Cam called any club tomorrow and said he wanted to play for them, including the Broncos, you would send a limousine to his house.<\/p>\n

"Which of the 16 clubs would not want Cam on their books? But we haven't had any talks so we haven't had any plans to sign him."<\/p>\n

\"Mal<\/p>\n

The Broncos now have room in their salary cap to accommodate Smith after hooker Andrew McCullough this week departed for St George Illawarra.<\/p>\n

Brisbane are believed to now have $500,000 remaining in the salary cap, which is enough to afford Smith – a player worth $1 million – from March or April given half of the NRL contracting year will have passed by then.<\/p>\n

Seven reporter Chris Garry today reported that Smith had commented on his future at a lunch function and still hadn't ruled out playing in 2021: "I don't know … I still have a big decision to make," Smith reportedly said.<\/p>\n

For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Storm have all but confirmed that Cameron Smith will not be on Melbourne's books for season 2021 by not naming the NRL legend in […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36481"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=36481"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36481\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36483,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36481\/revisions\/36483"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=36481"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=36481"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=36481"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}