Writing for a living on websites such as The Roar and having lived a life passionately connected to the game, has allowed me to meet many rugby league people.
More often than not, the average man or woman in the street is extremely flattering in their praise, appreciative of the pieces they have read and genuinely happy to discuss some of the key issues in the game.
After the representative retirement of Cameron Smith and my penchant for a conversation, many of my recent rugby league interactions have steered in the direction of the former Queensland and Australian captain.
Most stunning, are the divergent views expressed. It is hard to believe that people could be so diametrically opposed in their opinions.
Often in life we have a view on something that may morph or evolve over time as we discover information of which we may have previously been unaware.
It is often a subtle change in opinion or perspective and reflects a mature ability to learn and see beyond our sometimes rigid and inflexible minds.
Cameron Smith of the Storm (AAP Image/Craig Golding)
In regards to Cameron Smith, there appears to be two schools of thought with both so assured and convinced of their positions that I find myself stumped as to what the real truth of the man actually is.
Personally, I always saw Smith as a great leader on the field. A player able to inspire his team. He also massaged and manipulated referees like no other thanks to a football intellect that is unrivalled in the game.
I saw him as tough in the centre of the ruck for a man of his size and blessed with dexterous skill with the ball in hand or on foot. There were a few moments where I had the shits with him as he snatched victories against my team and Melbourne were indeed the masters of the grapple which saw Smith perform the technique as well as anyone.
Throughout the course of the last week, I have encountered two very clear schools of thought and two very different types of people when it comes to Cameron Smith.
# 1 The hater
The vitriol from this side of the argument has been funny to watch. For some, Smith is a downright cheat. His rather innocuous physical presence is a sure sign of shenanigans going on elsewhere in his game. These people claim no player of such average proportions could be as effective as Smith, given the violence and brutality of the modern game.
They say he wrestled, grappled and delayed, all the while pacifying referees to the point where they thought of him as their mate, their friend and developed a Harry Potter-style invisibility cloak to protect himself from sanction.
Moreover, he was part of a News Limited club that referees, the media and the NRL itself was invested in so far, that Premierships were a must. The captain was to become one of the most protected and untouchable.
The salary cap rorts of 2006-09 only confirmed this belief for many and the bitterness felt towards Smith and his team still lives to this very day.
Throw in the fact that Smith is a Queenslander, a state whose borders are no limit to State of Origin representation and open to anyone who might aid their cause, and the hatred south of that border only intensifies.
In short, people told me he is a filthy grub, protected and worse than all, a cheat. I nodded a lot and wondered what their parents had done to them to make them so angry.
# 2 The Immortal
A completely separate and one must say calmer group of people, told me that Cameron Smith is the best we have seen since Wally Lewis.
The man we still call the King drove me insane in the eighties as he choreographed Maroon victories against the Blues time after time.
As the years have passed, even staunch New South Wales men and women have grown to appreciate the feats of Lewis and his status in the game is unquestioned.
The Smith lovers tell me that he will one day be held in the same esteem; a gifted genius whose football brain stood him out from those around him and provided the level head behind the greatest club team of the 21st century.
As member after member of the ‘so-called’ big four left to greener pastures or suffered extended periods of injury, Smith remained, backing up from Origin matches and inspiring younger teams to victory, as his career began to approach its completion.
Cameron Smith and the Storm (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
Smith’s fans claim his physical irrelevance only emphasises his genius, as a player who used the cerebral side of the game to dredge every inch from his players and the officials, in order to be successful.
They made it unquestionably clear that his feats in the green and gold, appreciated by the entire nation, cement his place as one of the most naturally talented, crafty and professional footballers of the modern era.
# 3 The conclusion
After all the vitriol, cheerleading and confliction, I was a little lost. I thought Smith was a terrific player, a good captain and a cheeky bastard who had his moments over the years.
Maybe I am right and the two factions are blinded by their own personal wins and losses. Maybe Cameron Smith was just somewhere in between.
Glenn
Guest
that's a very good comment Matt. I was comparing hookers with hookers but it is certainly true what you say. A great discussion here, reminds us all of the legends we have been fortunate enough to see play and, as you say, change the course of a game with their unique individual brilliance. My great regret was being too young to see Clive Churchill play. Can anyone who did tell me why he was revered by just about everyone regardless of which team you supported?
Joe
Roar Rookie
+2
Nat
Roar Guru
Like I said, skewed stats with chosen reference points in time to make your point. "James Roberts is the best center in the world... who played last Friday night between 9:15pm and 9:40pm" . Prove me wrong? The rules never changed in 05, they were tightened up in '12. NSWRL were fully aware of Inglis' intention to play for Qld. NSWRL, coming off the back of 3 series wins allowed it. 2 games at Hunter SH, and the rest in Brisbane. NSW rely on the fact his born in January otherwise he would never have been 16yo. Inglis debuted in 06 - 1 losing game. 07, 2 games - 1W/1L, such a massive impact? He is a sensational player but only top 5 in that team. Should we talk about all the Qld/NZ born players in Blue jumpers without all your caveats around it?
Matt H
Roar Guru
The Johns thing has skewed expectations. He should simply never have been named so close to retirement. He was considered a certainty at the time and now there is JT who can mount an argument to be better. Lockyer was talked about, but that has died down. Much better to wait, but Johns has made a rod for the NRL's back on this. We should be looking at Irvine, Messenger, Burge, Brown, Horder, Provan, Walsh, Meninga before naming someone from this decade. There should be a balance. Long enough after retirement to gain perspective, but not so long that the poor buggers have passed away or been forgotten.
Matt H
Roar Guru
Ask yourself, regarding Walsh and Walters, compared to Smith, were they the most important part of their club winning all those premierships. I would argue that for St George it might be Raper and Gasnier, Souths Coote and McCarthy, but with Melbourne it is Smith. Take him out and Melbourne are simply not the same, as 40-nil showed.
Matt H
Roar Guru
Yes and if you add Walsh and Provan you go to 5 out of that team.
Matt H
Roar Guru
The urban myth is that QLD have done this many, many times. That is simply not true. There is Greg Inglis.
Matt H
Roar Guru
'many many NSWmen'. Really? Both states have done it when it suits them. Tamau, Nagas vs Lam and Inglis. Basically it is only the Greg Inglis issue that sticks. and guess what, NSW didn't fight it because they didn;t want him at the time.
Matt H
Roar Guru
Love your first sentence. It sums up Smith perfectly. A winning machine.
Matt H
Roar Guru
Well said
Matt H
Roar Guru
And while making all those tackles, he has had his hands on the ball more than any other player in history, and despite all that work he still invariably makes the correct decision.
Matt H
Roar Guru
Basically Smith is the smartest player in the game. He has the best footy instincts of his generation, like Andrew Johns, Darren Lockyer, Peter Sterling, Wally Lewis and Bob Fulton before him, he is simply many steps ahead of the players around him in reading the game. This is what makes players who may not be the fastest or most athletic seem to always be where they are needed. Smith has also trained as hard as anyone in the history of the game. His 'accountants' body is like weedy little block of granite. It's obvious that his attention to detail in all aspects of preparation are supreme. As a man who has probably touched the ball more than any other player in the history of the game, the times he makes a poor decision or has poor execution are so rare that they stand out like dogs balls. Stamina, tackling technique (both legal and pushing the boundaries to the point he can barely see them in the rear vision mirror), kicking game, passing game, game management, player management, referee management, running game when he chooses, decision on when to run or pass, ability to move out and play first or second receiver. the guy has it all. Imagine the confidence his teammates have just knowing Smith it out there. they can just do their job, knowing he will take care of all the hard thinking. An immortal in waiting.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Well they’re not. Queensland retained the shield in those series because they were holders and the series drawn and that’s absolutely fair. But they were drawn series, not won by NSW. Not won by Queensland.
tim
Guest
+1000
tim
Guest
NO, HE WASN'T!!!!!!! Israel Folau was eligible for Qld under the stupid rules of the time, but the first football at the age of 16 rule should not have changed anything for Inglis. Inglis played in the national schoolboys comp for Hunter Sports High. In Newcastle. In NSW. At the age of 16. He was NEVER eligible to play for Qld. They looked for a loophole, and when he still didn't qualify, they picked him anyway. And continue to be allowed to pick him.
PNGBF88
Guest
+1,000 What's worse is the grubby coach rumored to be heading to Brisbane, noooo!!
Emcie
Roar Guru
um, NOIP, you realise that 3 of the current immortals played in the same team together?
George Jetson
Guest
It beggars because stupid people watch it, ACA and 60 Minutes that is. Aimed at the lowest common denominator.
Dodgy dragons
Guest
Well said Glenn, 10 premierships doesn’t mean shit when immortals are mentioned, you have to be kidding me. If sticks Proven isn’t named next immortal, it will be an absolute farce. Smith should be one aswell, after 10 -15 years of his legacy to be observed, unlike A Johns.
Sunny
Guest
What a great game it will be then. Don't we want to see gifted present players than put up with all the crap that goes on trying to influence refs and games at the moment. My observations are that some teams and players are allowed to get away with it and there is know way other teams are ever going to get away with it. That's not cunning, it's the refs not willing to penalise it. It always makes me cringe when I here people with opposing views are claimed to be bitter an twisted. Why are their observations based on what they see each weekend are somehow coming from a bitter and twisted place in their psyche. Just what they are seeing.