Skipper milestone to spur on Storm

MELBOURNE Storm have vowed they will properly celebrate skipper Cameron Smith’s record-breaking NRL games milestone this week.

A home preliminary final and a week off will be on the line when Storm take on Parramatta at AAMI Park this weekend.

The game is expected to be played on Saturday at 4.10pm, with the Roosters to meet Brisbane in the other qualifying final this Friday night.

Smith will overtake Brisbane Broncos great Darren Lockyer as the NRL games record holder when he runs out for his 356th game.

The future Immortal will receive the acknowledgment that he deserves despite the magnitude of the clash with the Eels.

“Regardless of whether it is a final or no final, it is a very big occasion for Cameron and his family,” Storm football director Frank Ponissi said.

“We feel very privileged to be a part of it, so we’re going to enjoy the occasion and we’re certainly not going to treat it as low-key.

“It is a big focus for us, and the best way to celebrate a milestone is to play to our absolute best and get the ultimate result.

“That’s how we want to help Cameron enjoy the milestone, by putting in a good performance.”

Storm are in perfect shape heading into the start of the finals series.

They have a full list to choose from and finished off the season with a strong 32-6 win over Canberra on Saturday night.

Storm were not tempted to rest a stack of players despite having already secured the minor premiership heading into the match.

“We managed the players through Origin a lot different than we have in other years,” Ponissi said.

“Because we did that, there was no need to do it (rest players) this year.

“We just made the decision that if any of our players – and not just our Origin blokes – were carrying injuries the last few weeks that we wouldn’t risk them.”

Ponissi said Storm did not want to flirt with form on the eve of the finals.

“I think one thing we’ve learnt over the years is that momentum is really important,” he said.

“You need momentum going into finals generally speaking across the board.

“That has been our big focus, but we know we’re playing a team in Parramatta whose momentum is as good as ours has been the past six weeks or so.

“But overall, we are in good shape.”

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