As he prepares for his 14th consecutive State of Origin series Cameron Smith knows better than most about how to juggle responsibilities to both his Club and state.
The Storm skipper will break the Origin appearance record when he leads the Maroons out for Game I in Sydney next Wednesday night.
He joined his Queensland teammates in camp on Tuesday after leading Storm to their fifth straight win of the season.
Be at AAMI Park when we take on the Panthers, Saturday 4 June, 7:30pm.
Asked about the challenges of focusing on Club football so close to Origin, the veteran provided a seasoned response following Monday night’s 18-6 win over the Eels.
“The focus is all about club football until you get through that 80 minutes before you jump on a plane and get into camp,” Smith said.
“First and foremost your job is to perform well for the respective club that you represent, that is part of being a good representative player.
“There are times when you need to represent your state or your country but first and foremost your focus needs to be on the Club.
“My mind set was on coming here tonight and playing well for Melbourne Storm, getting the job done and then focusing on my task next week.”
After leading Melbourne to a 9-2 record, their best start to a season since 2012, Smith will not turn his attention to captaining Queensland to a 10th series win in 11 years.
