Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy is none the wiser on club legend Cameron Smith's future plans.
Coming off the Storm's 2020 premiership win, Smith's third overall, the veteran has been weighing up retirement or extending his storied career into a 19th season.
The 430-gamer originally declared he would decide his future by Christmas, but is still yet to make a call some two months out from the NRL season, the Storm included.
Speaking toย The Daily Telegraph's Nick Smart, Bellamy said there was no rush on a decision from his side of things.
โI wouldnโt imagine Cameron thought it was going to take this long to make the decision either,โ Storm coach Craig Bellamy told News Corp Australia.
โHeโs not here at the moment, so my opinion is what itโs always been.
โAnd thatโs that he deserves the right to make that decision when itโs right for him, so Iโd just leave it at that.โ
Believed to be currently living on the Gold Coast, it is growing likely that the 430-gamer will either play on at one of the Queensland clubs or hang up the boots.
Bellamy admitted he doesn't like the idea of Smith playing on at a rival club, but that no one at the Storm would begrudge him for doing so.
โI donโt know how Iโd feel (about that) until it happened,โ he said.
โI probably wouldnโt like it that much, but like Iโve said all along, whatever is right for him and his family Iโll back them up all the way.
โIf he ends up playing with another club and he believed that was the best thing for him and his family, then thatโs great and Iโll go along with that knowing weโve had the best out of him for the longest period of time.
โNo one would begrudge what decision he comes up with.โ
Smith has played 430 NRL games all for the Storm since making his first-grade debut in 2002.
He turns 38 later this year.
