Cameron Smith has closed the door on playing an Allan Langer-style saviour role for Queensland in this year's State of Origin series.
While the rugby league record-breaker has reaffirmed his intention to play one more season in the NRL with Melbourne next year, Smith has ruled out making an Origin comeback for the Maroons.
Cameron Smith has ruled out an Origin comeback.Credit:AAP
Not even the badgering of Queensland coach Kevin Walters can persuade the 35-year-old to emerge from representative retirement to save the Maroons from back-to-back series losses to NSW for the first time since 2005.
"Whether I speak to him face to face or via text, he (Walters) always chucks in a little sneaky question at the end: 'Are you free to play Origin this year?' Smith told Fox Sports' NRL 360 on Wednesday night.
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"But I was lucky enough to play 15 really enjoyable years of Origin and my time's finished.
"I'll let the younger guys take that spot now."
While not unexpected, Smith's decision will come as a disappointment for Queensland fans.
Back in 2001, then-Maroons coach Wayne Bennett coaxed Langer – equally revered and then the same age as Smith is now – out of rep retirement for the 2001 Origin series.
History now knows Langer was man-of-the-match in the deciding game as Queensland rebounded from one of their heaviest series losses ever against the Blues the year before.
Smith, though, remains content to keep on keeping on at the Storm, the veteran hooker doubling down on his plans to go around again in 2020 under coach Craig Bellamy, despite being off contract.
"It's always easy to say that you want to play on when things are going great at tRead More – Source
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