Cam to stay on for Kangaroos
But Smith vowed to be the last man standing from Australia’s Big Three, outlining plans to mentor the Kangaroos’ next wave of stars in the post-Thurston era in 2018.
“I have no intention of walking away,” Smith said as he prepares for tonight’s showdown with the Kiwis.
“At this stage, I want to keep playing on next year.
“I’m not in the same position as JT (Thurston) or Cooper where Cooper is unsure of what the future holds for him next year.
“JT has announced this is his last year and I haven’t had any of those thoughts at all.
“My focus is solely on this game and this year but I still feel I have more to give to the Kangaroos. My feelings may change at the end of the season, we have a lot of games to play and after the World Cup campaign, my thoughts might change.
“But to be honest, right now, I’d love to play on for Australia and Queensland beyond this year and that’s what I’m aiming for.”
Smith accepts he may only have another 18 months left in the green and gold jumper. In his twilight years, he wants to ram home the message that the international game, and playing for Australia, still has relevance in a code besotted with Origin.
“The next generation can’t just view Origin as the ultimate goal and I’m determined to make sure representing Australia is still the highest honour,” Smith said.
“It’s unfortunate that there’s been more conversations around Origin over the last 10 years than Test football because wearing the green and gold means everything to me.
“The conversations over the last 12 months within our team have centred around the belief in our jersey and what representing the Kangaroos means. For me, representing your country is the highest accolade.
“I get that Origin is huge, but we have a role to play now to make sure all aspiring young league players see Test football as the pinnacle.”