Melbourne storm captain Cameron Smith has spoken out on several matters that shaped and shook his career, in his autobiography The Storm Within.
The tell-all piece opens up on the Storm's salary cap saga, family controversies, a reported bust-up with former teammate Cooper Cronk, the Alex McKinnon 60 Minutes segment and many more anecdotes from his 430 game career-to-date.
“There’s certainly instances when the ‘us versus the world’ mentality was there. There are times when being out of the NRL bubble you feel like an outcast. Maybe there was that dark inner side of me that built things up which helped motivate me but what helped me much more was the high standards drive by you know who, (coach) Craig Bellamy," Smith said.
And while his illustrious career faced many battles, one "cruel" and "untrue" rumour surrounding an alleged affair with TV presenter Yvonne Sampson cut deep.
The rumours quickly took place on social media, with Smith laughing after first hearing of the reports from his manager, Isaac Moses, per The Daily Telegraph.
“Honestly, if I was going to have an affair – which I never would – why would I do it with someone with a profile as big as hers? And in my own sport?
“It was just cruel … rumours that were completely untrue. When I told Barb she was shattered. It floored her.
“I could handle it but I was concerned for her and Yvonne, who had been around our game for a long time and we all know how well-respected she is.
Sampson and Barb had contacted one-another to check on the other's welfare, with Smith turning down an offer to appear on Fox Sports and instead let the rumours die out.
