Smith year has golden glow
Kangaroos skipper Cameron Smith has won the coveted Golden Boot Award to join an elite group of Australian league stars.
The winner was unveiled at a gala World Cup lunch in Brisbane yesterday with Smith, England’s Jermaine McGillvary, Tonga’s Jason Taumalolo and Fiji’s Suliasi Vunivalu shortlisted for the award.
Smith was the raging favourite following a dream season that saw him win the Dally M, skipper Melbourne to the premiership and Queensland to another Origin series win while he also usurped Darren Lockyer as the most-capped player in NRL history.
Smith won his first Golden Boot in 2007 and his latest honour has catapulted the Maroons champion into the rarefied company of multiple winners.
Since the award’s inception 33 years ago just three other players have celebrated two or more Golden Boot triumphs: Andrew Johns (1999 and 2001), Lockyer (2003 and 2006) and Johnathan Thurston (2011, 2013 and 2015).
“It’s been a very successful year. I have been fortunate along the way and I owe it to my teammates,” Smith said.
“I just love playing in the green and gold, I am proud of the Kangaroos and the great players that have worn the jumper.
“There has been some luck involved. There has been plenty of speculation about my future but I would be jumping the gun to say the World Cup final will be my last game.”
Teammate Billly Slater, who won the Golden Boot in 2008, a year after Smith’s breakthrough gong, said the Kangaroos ace was a worthy winner.
“Cam has had one of his best seasons to date,” he said. “He still does everything so easily and so effortlessly, he has such a great footy brain and seems to have more time than ever to do what he does best. Cam is by far the best footballer I have ever played with.”
New Zealand back-rower Teuila Fotu-Moala was crowned Women’s World Cup player of the tournament, beating out Jillaroos star Ali Brigginshaw.