For 16 years he has performed with a consistent level of brilliance unlike any other before him however in 2017 Cameron Smith may well have outdone himself.
Heading into what would become a Premiership year, it seemed impossible that the Storm skipper would find a way to take his game to a new level.
However at 34 years of age that is exactly what he did.
Smith became the oldest player to win the Dally M Player of the Year award, took out his seventh Storm Player of the Year award and that is before you even mention the records that tumbled courtesy of the mercurial hooker.
Most goals in Premiership history, most wins in Premiership history, most games as captain, most points by a forward, most State of Origin appearances and of course arguably the most staggering of the all, the most games played in NRL history.
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It is enough to make the everyday person’s head spin at what this future immortal has accomplished over the last 12 months.
Now he stands of the cusp of becoming only the third player in history to captain Australia to World Cup glory on home soil.
So is this Smith’s greatest ever season?
The man himself was typically too humble to declare as much.
““In some ways, maybe. It’s really hard to judge year-on-year which is your best or your most complete,” Smith told NRL360.
“I’ve been very lucky to play in some handy footy teams this year — Melbourne Storm taking out the premiership, the Maroons winning another Origin series and now being involved in such a successful Kangaroos side, you know, the personal accolades and particularly the records they just come because I’ve been around the game for so long and I’m an old man now.
“The personal accolades you collect along the way, they’re nice, but they only come because you play alongside great players, you play in some great teams. I’m very, very fortunate to play in those three sides that I mentioned.
“But myself, maybe it is one of my best seasons, I’m not too sure. I’ve had a few others throughout the course of my career where I was really happy with the way I played or the consistency I played at but I’d have to say this one’s certainly up there with a few others.”
