Cameron Smith knew his decision to call time on his glittering representative career was right when he told Queensland coach Kevin Walters and all he felt was relief. The Australia and Queensland captain dropped the bombshell news at a Melbourne press conference on Tuesday, just three weeks out from the State of Origin series. “The decision is a combination of the impact that representative football had on me and my family,” Smith said. “Last year, more than any other year, the Origin series in particular had an effect on me both physically and mentally,” said Smith. In his Origin career he missed just one game – the series opener in 2010 due to injury – and won a record 26 matches.

Source: The Guardian May 15, 2018 02:45 UTC