Melbourne Storm legend Cameron Smith is set to join bitter rivals the Brisbane Broncos in a shock career move, just a month after the Broncos defeated the Storm in the NRL grand final.
The 42-year-old, widely regarded as one of the greatest players in NRL history, will take on a mentoring role for Brisbane's young stars. He will also serve as a sounding board for Broncos coach Michael Maguire, who worked with Smith during his time as an assistant coach at the Storm in 2004.
Reports indicate that Smith sought the blessing of former Storm coach Craig Bellamy before agreeing to the move, which involves sharing valuable intellectual property with a club that recently defeated Bellamy's team in the premiership. Bellamy reportedly gave his approval.
Smith retired at the end of the 2020 season after a 18-year career, all with the Storm, during which he played a record 433 NRL games and won three premierships. Since retiring, he has worked as a commentator and assisted Billy Slater with the Queensland Maroons.
The Broncos are expected to make an official announcement soon. Smith, Maguire, and Brisbane chief executive Dave Donaghy were reportedly seen together in Noosa last week.
