Cam Smith rejected Storm's farewell offer

Tonight could mark the curtain call of the finest career in rugby league history.

Yet no-one is really talking about it - at least not to the extent that Cameron Smith's glittering, soon-to-be 429 game NRL career deserves.

Of course the Melbourne Storm start warm favourites against the Canberra Raiders, so chances are Smith will feature yet again on the grand stage of a grand final.

But should the Storm slip up, there is the very real chance the 37-year-old Smith slips away quietly into retirement in his usual no-fuss manner.

"We still honestly don't know what Cameron is doing (at the end of the season)," Smith's long-time Storm coach Craig Bellamy said.

"And like I said right from the start, I am not going to expect an answer from him until he is ready to give an answer, and he has not been ready."

Adding to the rich intrigue is tonight's Suncorp Stadium venue, the arena Smith dominated for Queensland for the better part of two decades.

But still no fuss.

"We would have liked to have made it more special if it is his last game (at Suncorp) but I promised I wouldn't put any heat on him," Bellamy said.

"I pointed out to him that if he did retire or go to another club, hopefully not, that we would like to send him out on the right note.

"I said to him that we'd like to give him a decent send-off and he said, 'Why?'

"I said that after 400-odd games and how many grand finals that 'you've done a tremendous job for us.'

"But he is not one of those guys who wants a lot of fanfare."

Bellamy agreed that it would be "very fitting" for Smith to go out a winner at Suncorp but has been in league long enough not to count on any fairytales.

"That is not how you get wins unfortunately," Bellamy said.

"Sometimes you deserve to go out on a winning note but it just doesn't happen like that."

Raiders coach Ricky Stuart, the ultimate competitor, was not interested in getting swept up in any Smith nostalgia.

"If it is his last game in Queensland, I'm hoping it's his last game in the NRL," Stuart said.

"But if it's his last game in Queensland I'm sure he'll have the respect of all the people there."

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