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Opinion
Like most sports, rugby league has a wealth of history, statistics and records, both at a club level and at an individual level.
Some records are desirable, like St George winning 11 consecutive premierships between 1956 and 1966, and some are not so desirable but certainly memorable, like Sydney Uni losing 42 (that’s right, 42) consecutive games during the 1934 to 1936 seasons. Not surprisingly, Sydney Uni withdrew from the competition at the end of the 1937 season.
Some records are impressive, and one day may be broken, like the mercurial Ken Irvine’s career try tally of 212 (in just 236 games), while others are unlikely to ever be broken, like Dave Brown’s unbelievable 38 tries in a season for the Roosters in 1935.
They say that records are made to be broken, but one that will stand the test of time is Cameron Smith’s growing record for first grade NRL appearances. Sitting on 427 before the first game of the finals, Smith’s record could be extended to 430 by season’s end, depending upon how the Storm progress over the next few weeks. If he decides to have just one more season next year, and barring serious injury, he could extend the record even further to an improbable 450-plus games.
Love him or hate him, or sit somewhere in between, this is both an incredible feat and a testimony to what has been a unique career. To consider whether this record can ever be beaten, we have to look at the factors that got Smith this far.
(Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
Smith, now 37, began life in first grade at the Storm in 2002 as a halfback, playing just two games in that year. But then he firmly established himself in first grade in the 2003 year, and that’s where he has stayed.
For those who can’t remember 2002:
• The median Sydney house price was a mere $365,000
• Peter Beattie was premier of Queensland
• The Roosters defeated the Warriors 30-8 in the grand final
So discounting the brief two-game appearance in 2002, Smith has accumulated his games over 18 seasons, at an incredible average of 23.6 games per season. In order to be in a position to do this, the following stars have had to align.
Smith has remained in good enough form to continue to be selected in first grade week after week. On this point, he’s not only been the first-choice hooker for the Storm since 2003, but he was also the first-choice hooker for Queensland from that year, and the first-choice hooker for Australia since 2006, until his retirement from representative footy in early 2018. I don’t think he has been selected in any other grade than first grade since 2003.
Smith has always played for a successful club. Since 2003, the Melbourne Storm have played in the finals every year, with the exception of the 2010 season when salary cap breaches required them to play for zero points. This finals success rate has boosted the number of games that Smith could play, and prior to this weekend, his games tally includes 39 finals appearances. Having the same coach, Craig Bellamy, has also been a benefit here.
Smith has missed very few games through injury and suspension. In his 18-year career, he has been absent for an average of only just over half a game per season, made up of four games lost through suspension, and even more remarkably, just seven through either injury or being rested. For a player who many disgruntled opposition fans believe is a cheat, and who pushes the boundaries of gamesmanship to the edge, that’s not many games on the sideline through suspension.
(Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)
Smith is smarter than everyone else. His game is all about control: control of his team, control of their game plan, control of pace of the game, and some believe control of he referees. This all adds up to Smith playing the game the way he wants to, and this has assisted in his longevity.
You won’t see Cameron Smith charging headlong into opposition defenders, like say his rugged namesake Brandon Smith. In fact, I’ve watched whole games where Smith hasn’t been tackled at all, barring a grab after he’s kicked the ball on the fifth tackle. Even in defence, while he cleans up a lot around the ruck, and achieves a reasonable tackle count each week, he’s not going to be the first man in on either a rampaging Josh Papalii or Jason Taumalolo.
So anyone hoping to chase down Smith’s record will need the same or similar factors working in their favour. They’ll need to be at the top of their game for around 18 years, virtually injury-free throughout their career, not be suspended for as many games as John Hopoate (45), and play in the finals for most of their playing years. Are there any contenders playing at the moment?
The only players still running around with 300 games or more are Benji Marshall (324 games), Gavin Cooper (322 games), Mitch Aubusson (304 games) and Josh Morris (303 games), so we can safely rule them out as each is very close to retirement.
Looking further down the list, the only current players who are under 30 years of age and with more than 200 games are Wade Graham (age 29, 243 games), BJ Leilua (age 28, 218 games) and Josh Papalii (age 28, 214 games). Wade Graham is the nearest of this bunch and would need to go around for another nine years to get near Cameron Smith. I’m prepared to rule them out as well.
Cameron Smith is a polarising and remarkable player who has had an unmatched career, and is building a record that will never be beaten.
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