Storm legend Cameron Smith achieved just about everything there is in the game, and former teammate Cameron Munster has left the door open for the future Immortal to potentially replace Craig Bellamy as coach despite heading north to work with fierce rivals the Broncos.<\/p>\n
The most-capped player in premiership history will join the premiers as a mentor this year having famously chosen to sign with Melbourne instead of Brisbane when he was a teenager. <\/p>\n
Smith became the greatest dummy-half the world had ever seen and played a key role in establishing dynasties at the Storm, Maroons and Kangaroos.<\/p>\n
But he will now work against his old club after linking up with Broncos coach Michael Maguire, with Munster hoping to see Smith return to Melbourne in the coming years whenever master coach Craig Bellamy decides to retire. <\/p>\n
\u201cProbably his wife didn\u2019t want him to fly down to Melbourne every week because he missed out on a whole heap of his kids\u2019 life,\u201d Munster said in Melbourne.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has a good relationship with Madge (Maguire) when they were together at the Storm, and I\u2019m sure Madge coached him at one stage when he was down here as an assistant, so they have a great relationship.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s disappointing to see him in different colours, but he obviously wants to get a bit of development. There are two ways to skin a cat, so he obviously feels like there\u2019s a different way of coaching. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou never know, he might end up having some development there and then he comes back down. Who knows? I\u2019m not too sure who the next coach will be after Craig, but I\u2019m sure Billy (Storm legend Billy Slater) or Cam would be the right fit.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would be nice (if he did take over). Not too many guys have a resume or the accolades or premierships and awards (that he does). I\u2019m not sure he hasn\u2019t won one, except for the Clive Churchill Medal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maguire addressed Smith\u2019s arrival at the club on radio. <\/p>\n
\u201cI won\u2019t lie, I did do a double take when I saw him in the gear,\u201d Maguire told SENQ Breakfast. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s great to have someone of his stature and all his experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe will work with our leaders, me and the coaching staff, and he chimes in where he can. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe talks to the players about their game, but it\u2019s a broad role, so we\u2019re not painting him into one specific area because of the nature of the way he gets around people.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Smith\u2019s future at the Storm could be a massive story down the track, the club is embroiled in an ugly spat with the Eels over Zac Lomax\u2019s signature.<\/p>\n
Lomax was released by Parramatta to sign with rebel code R360, a deal that fell through after the competition was pushed back to 2028.<\/p>\n
A clause in the release stipulated that he couldn\u2019t sign with another club unless the Eels were properly compensated, which is why he hasn\u2019t been able to join the Storm despite talks of financial compensation or a potential player swap.<\/p>\n
The Storm have the money and roster space to sign him after they lost Ryan Papenhuyzen, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Jonah Pezet and Eli Katoa for a variety of reasons following their second grand final loss in as many years. <\/p>\n
Munster didn\u2019t bite when asked about the fight to secure the rep star for 2026, with the veteran five-eighth jokingly trying to shift focus to the new pub he\u2019s about to open on Caxton St.<\/p>\n
\u201cI got tipped up about this question, but I\u2019m pretty disappointed you didn\u2019t ask about my new pub in Brisbane. The pub is going well, thanks for asking,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll leave that (Lomax) up to the coaching staff and the owners. That\u2019s above my pay grade. He\u2019s a great asset to the club if we get him, but I just think that there\u2019s been a whole heap of publicity about it. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re very comfortable and confident with our squad at the moment. He\u2019ll probably add a nice element to it, but we\u2019re not putting our eggs in one basket and worrying about if we get him or not.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not great media for us going forward, especially at the start of the year when we have them in round 1, but I\u2019m looking forward to the season.\u201d<\/p>\n