Off-contract Melbourne Storm star Brandon Smith has a big decision to make on his future.
The hooker has been given the green light to assess his options at rival clubs for 2022, with a number of teams showing interest, most notably the Gold Coast Titans.
As the 24-year old embarks on his future call, he admits that coach Craig Bellamy's plans will have a huge bearing on what he does.
Bellamy has recent declared that this will be his final season of his head coaching career, with Brisbane and Cronulla pitching offers for him to become their director of coaching.
The Storm have not given up hope of him extending his coaching career into 2022 or staying on in a director of coaching role.
Speaking toย The Daily Telegraph about his future, Smith admitted that Bellamy's decision will be a "huge contributing factor" to his own.ย
โThat (Bellamyโs decision) is going to be a huge contributing factor, to see what heโs going to be doing as coach,โ Smith said.
โBut heโs a bit like Cameron Smith isnโt he?
โI wondered where Smithy got this thing from, so I think heโll (Bellamy) just be waiting for the best offer before coming back to the Storm and saying โI got this offer.โ
โHeโs too smart.โ
It comes after teammate Jahrome Hughes re-signed with the club this week until the end of 2024, knocking back a massive $2.5 million offer from the New Zealand Warriors.
Smith says he is currently focused on simply going out and playing and will let his agent sort out the rest. However, he declared he sees his future "in a Melbourne Storm jersey".
โI know what I want to do, which is just to go out and play,โ Smith said.
โI guess my manager just wants to make the most money out of me and of course I want to make money as well, but I want to be happy as well.
โI see myself as being a really happy person in a Melbourne Storm jersey, and I see Jahrome Hughes just re-signed for three years and I think he took something like a $200,000 pay cut.
โThatโs just a testament to the jersey we wear and how much respect we have for it, and Iโve got a lot of respect for this jersey.
โRegardless of what happens, I really want to be in a Melbourne Storm jersey.โ
Smith has played 62 of his NRL games for the Storm since making his first-grade debut in 2017.
