Money or happiness? Smith loves Storm but could leave
Melbourne Storm hooker Brandon Smith is stuck at an intersection between happiness, money and opportunity.
If he stays with the Storm, he will likely be sacrificing money and the opportunity to start at hooker, as his good friend Harry Grant looks the Storm’s first choice despite being out injured.
If Smith leaves, he knows he will be giving up some happiness and the bond he has with his teammates and Storm supporters, who love him for his tenacious play and his funny, free-spirited capers off the field.
Brandon Smith at training in January. Credit:Getty Images
Premiership half-back Jahrome Hughes made that decision earlier this week when he turned down a lucrative offer from the New Zealand Warriors to remain at Storm for three more years, citing the happiness of his partner and himself in Melbourne.
Smith is slated to start at hooker in the NRL season-opener against South Sydney at AAMI Park on Thursday night but he admits he is increasingly torn between trying to fulfil his potential and remaining at the club he loves.
Grant and Smith have battled all pre-season for the right to replace legend Cameron Smith as starting hooker, with the Storm great still to announce his plans for this season although the club don’t expect him to return.
“It clouds my manager’s decision. I know what I want to do, I want to go out and play,” Smith said when asked about his future on Friday.
“My manager wants to make the most money from me and, of course, I want to make money but I want to be happy as well.
“I see myself being a really happy person in a Melbourne Storm jersey. I see Jahrome Hughes re-sign for three years, I think he took a $200,000 pay cut [from what the Warriors offered]. So that is testament to the jersey we wear and our respect for it.
“I have a lot of respect for this jersey and regardless of what happens I really want to be in a Melbourne Storm jersey.”
Smith is contracted for 2022 but has asked Storm for permission to look elsewhere for a starting berth at hooker although Storm will want a replacement for Smith of the same value, which could be very hard to find.
Smith also wants to see if Craig Bellamy will remain as coach beyond next season.
“That’s going to be a huge contributing factor, to see what he is doing as coach, but give him his time,” Smith said.
“He’s a bit like [Cameron] Smithy, you can see where Smithy got this from. I think Bellamy will just be waiting for the best offer then come back to the Storm.”
Smith has dropped five kilograms to make himself more mobile after playing as a lock or utility forward in recent seasons.
He won’t be changing his tenacious style of play and could show more of his running game should teams give him room.
“No disrespect to Cameron, but me and Harry are a bit faster than him,” he said.
“We may not make our decisions as fast as him but we are going to come at you a little bit faster.
“So the boys have to adapt to us getting out a little quicker and pushing up a bit flatter.”
Smith isn’t just after his former captain’s hooker role but also his golf clubs.
“I’d love to see him back,” he said.
“I texted him the other day and he said he missed the boys. I’m not sure where he’s at at the moment but I’m trying to buy his golf clubs and now he won’t text me back.”
Smith has been watching the NRL pre-season shows and noticed how heavily backed the Rabbitohs are, so he looks forward to testing them out.
“Everyone rates them as the team to win the comp with Wayne Bennett as coach,” Smith said.
“What better way to test my dummy-half craft than against the best team in the comp?
“They have Damian Cook, the Australian hooker, and with the World Cup coming up this year, hopefully, it would be good to see how he is going as well.”
The Storm play South Sydney Rabbitohs at AAMI Park on Thursday at 8.05pm AEDT.
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