It’s a numbers game
One game in the NRL is an achievement for anyone. 400 for a man who is often referred to as an accountant is unthinkable.
News broke this week that the Melbourne Storm’s Cameron Smith is set to be the first player to reach that unthinkable number. Smith is eyeing a contact extension that would see if remain at the Storm and in the toughest competition in the world until the end of 2019.
Having already played 334 games, with his 335th going ahead in Sunday’s Grand Final against the Sharks, Smith would need to notch up another 65 games in three seasons to make it on the number.
The NRL is such a fast-paced, high-intensity game where the injury rate has increased exponentially over the last few years. As guys like Jason Taumalolo, Paul Gallen and Greg Inglis chuck around small cars in the weights room, hoping to get bigger, stronger and faster, 20+ games in a season without injury is somewhat of a dream for most.
In order for Cam Smith to hit the 400 mark, he will need to average just a tick under 22 games over the next three seasons. Wingers, who as Sonny-Bill Williams said, sit around kicking rocks all day struggle to make that number, how is someone in the thick of it, like a hooker meant to make it?
Well, Smith seems to have the answer. Since his debut in 2002 where he played only two matches he has gone on to play no less than 20 games in the next 14 years on the trot. Over those 14 years he has actually averaged 23 games per season.
In addition to remaining injury free, the fact that Melbourne have only missed the finals twice since Smith’s debut plays a huge role in this calculation. In 2002 the Storm finished 10th in the competition and celebrated Mad Monday a month earlier than they hoped, and we all know what happened in 2010.
So, barring any major injury which he has managed to avoid his whole career and if the Storm continue their winning ways, Smith is definitely on track to make history and become the first and quite possibly the only man to record 400 NRL games to his name.
Just as a side note and to add to his already impressive numbers, Smith has played 89 rep games to date. 39 for Queensland and 44 for Australia. If he continues with rep footy, that could easily tally to another 30 over the next three years.
Cameron Smith, a numbers man.