A lot has changed over the course of Cameron Smith’s career however the one constant has been the man who has played fullback alongside him.
Over the course of 15 seasons Smith and Billy Slater have forged a great relationship on and off the field.
The latter will join his mate in the illustrious 300-Club this Saturday night when he runs onto AAMI Park.
It takes something special to impress Smith, who has achieved just about everything possible in the game yet Slater has done just that.
“The thing that I really admire about Billy is that he has made people feel good about our game,” Smith said.
“He’s made people want to come to rugby league matches, sit in the cold of Melbourne and watch us play. Kids come through and want to sign up to play rugby league because of what Billy does.
“That is what people are attracted to, his style of play; the line breaks, the chip kicks and the tries.
“What he did for this Club, particularly early on was special. To help put the Club on the map in Victoria was pretty special. That was just all off the back of his attitude to playing, he just loved playing rugby league. I think the more people who have that mindset and that outlook on playing rugby league, the better off we will be.”
