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Smith breaks retirement silence in new book
Reveals why he didn't call it quits during the season
In another indication he may not return for another NRL season in 2021, Storm legend Cameron Smith has revealed he would not sign a new deal with Melbourne if it resulted in rising stars Harry Grant or Brandon Smith going to rival clubs.
In his new book, The Storm Within, the premiership-winning captain said he had spoken to coach Craig Bellamy during the season about the importance of having both players on deck to solidify the club's future after he's gone.
"There's no way I'm re-signing for another 12 months if the club is going to lose either Harry or Brandon. I don't want to see the club struggle in the long term just so I can play one more season," he writes in an extract published in The Daily Telegraph.
"I was well aware of Brandon Smith's and Harry Grant's situations.
"And I knew that if I chose to play on in Melbourne, it would be hard for the Storm to retain all three of us, even though the club had said time and time again that it could.
"I appreciated that Brandon and Harry were building careers of their own. Brandon has established himself as the New Zealand No. 9, and Harry played 2020 with the Wests Tigers, where he had a standout season."
Smith, acknowledged the outstanding job the club's recruitment team had done while explaining why a call on his future has taken so long to thrash out.
"I just didn't know," he says.
"I don't know how to explain it.
"I just didn't feel the decline at any stage of that 2020 season. If anything, I felt better than I ever had, in all aspects of my footy.
"I loved waking up and knowing I had to train. I enjoyed getting in there and competing with the younger players. I even enjoyed getting into the gym.
"All I could do, as the weirdest of seasons reached its climax, was concentrate on what I could control — and that was playing good football.
"The matter could have become a distraction if we allowed it to, but we didn't. We just did what we always do at the Storm — get on with business. My decision would take care of itself."
Smith is yet to hang up the boots officially and has been linked to a switch to the Gold Coast this year.
The Storm legend's children reportedly attend school in the area and legendary hooker is said to have looked at property in the area.
