Melbourne captain Cameron Smith seems to have thrown plenty of fans off the scent as he suggest he is physically and mentally tough enough to go around again in 2021, perย The Sydney Morningย Herald.
Smith had many NRL members believe Saturday's Grand Final would be his last after being chaired off the field following the Storm's preliminary final victory over Canberra.
The Melbourne veteran has now revealed he feels as though he could play on next season, giving no indication he will retire.
Smith said he will make a decision "some time after the grand final... I don't know".
"Not really, which is why it makes the decision really hard," Smith said. "I've spoken to a few of my ex-team-mates that have now retired and they told me it was just one day they woke up and, in their mind, they didn't want to do it anymore.
"That was the reason they knew it was time to finish up. I haven't had that feeling yet. There's lots of things to consider, outside of just how I feel and whether I think I can play on. After this game, I'll do some thinking and make a decision."
The Storm hooker seems fairly relaxed ahead of Saturday's big dance, showing up to his media duties in Queensland in just shorts and thongs.
"It's like nothing I've been involved in. Only once, in 06, we flew to Sydney for the grand final breakfast and returned to Melbourne for the rest of our prep," Smith said.
"Other than that, we've always been in Sydney fairly early on, Tuesday or Wednesday, getting ready for the game. There's a fair bit going on, formalities, press conferences.
"This is quite relaxed, which I hope will benefit us, particularly the young guys experiencing their first grand final. This is the same build-up we've had for every other game this year. I think it's important that you try to keep the same routine as much as possible."
Smith backed his side's experience and know-how ahead of their clash with a youthful Penrith side.
"You always take confidence in a game when you have experience like we do. I think the guys that have been there a couple of times before have been vital to our side and if they play well, it's only going to help those younger boys in our first grand final."
The way this princess is going he will probably outlast Brandon Smith & Harry Grant.