Queensland coach refuses to rule out State of Origin swan song for veteran pair

Queensland coach Kevin Walters has hinted that there might be one last State of Origin run from both Melbourne Storm captain Cameron Smith and Super League-Bound Greg Inglis.

Smith is 37, but is showing no signs of slowing down, with the Storm well in the frame of another premiership title.

Two years ago, he announced that he was retiring from representative football so he could focus on the Storm.

There has been plenty of speculation about the future of Smith, who could head back to Queensland and align himself to the Brisbane Broncos or the Gold Coast Titans, should he continue to play on.

But should he choose retirement, it could open up the opportunity for him to finish his storied career with another Origin win.

Speaking on The Late Show With Matty Johns, Walters said that there is a chance for Smith to don the Maroon jersey one last time.

“The rumours about Cameron Smith, they’re not rumours,” he said.

“He’s still playing in the NRL, he’s got the No. 9 on his back for the Melbourne Storm and he could have a No. 9 on his back for the Maroons in November.”

It’s a bit of a different tale for Inglis. At the end of the 2019 season, Inglis announced his retirement from South Sydney citing injury problems.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmAlB6u3JuE

But in May, the 33-year old announced he was coming out of retirement to sign with the Warrington Wolves.

As per Fox Sports, former Queensland great Johnathan Thurston urged the Maroons to ask Inglis to come back and help take down New South Wales.

“We’ve always had big, strong and athletic centres. That’s probably what we don’t have at the moment,” he said.

“He’s a competitor GI. When he puts that Maroons jersey on – I’ve seen the look in his eye – If he’s got that look in his eye, you’re not going to get beaten.

“It would be good to see him go out there and just annihilate a few bodies for us.”