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NRL world rallies around Cameron Smith after devastating family development for Storm legend

The Melbourne and Queensland champion has been dealing with heartbreak in recent weeks.

sam goodwin
Sports Editor
·4-min read

NRL legend Cameron Smith has been secretly dealing with the death of his mother Sonia, who died late last month at the age of 66. The Courier Mail revealed on Monday that Smith's mother Sonia suffered a brain aneurysm on July 24, leaving the Melbourne Storm and Queensland Maroons champion devastated.

Sonia was a life member of the Logan Brothers club in Queensland, where Smith played as a junior. Over 800 Logan Brothers players reportedly wore black armbands last weekend and held a minute's silence for Sonia, who was a beloved regular at the club for years.

Cameron Smith and mother Sonia.
Cameron Smith's mother Sonia (second from right) died at age 66 last month. Image: AAP/Getty

Logan Brothers Club president Duane Antcliff said: “Life members are usually the salt of the earth people who give their lives to something that’s important in their lives. It’s very obvious that Sonia was one of those ladies and deserves the accolades given to her contribution to Logan Brothers and the sport of rugby league.”

The Melbourne Storm also paid tribute to Sonia Smith. “Sonia will be missed by the entire Storm family and will be remembered for her unwavering support of Cameron and our club,” the club said. “Our thoughts and condolences are with Cameron, Barb and the entire family at this time.”

Cameron Smith, pictured here with mother Sonia and father Wayne in 2017.
Cameron Smith with mother Sonia and father Wayne after his 350th match in 2017. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Cameron Smith played a record 430 NRL games for the Storm, as well as 42 State of Origin games for Queensland and 56 Test matches for Australia. He is now a respected member of the media, working for Channel 9 on TV and radio with SEN.

The devastating news has rocked Smith ahead of the NRL's unveiling of the next Immortal, which many believe will be the Storm legend. The 14th Immortal in league history will be inducted at a Hall of Fame dinner on August 21, with the likes of Ron Coote, Peter Sterling, Darren Lockyer, Billy Slater and Johnathan Thurston also in contention.

"Well first and foremost, I get embarrassed by this stuff...I am flattered my name is mentioned alongside some of the greatest players of our game," Smith said on SEN last month, before revealing who he believed should be in the running.

"I would love to see some of the guys that finished their career some time ago...inducted. Someone like Ron Coote who was such a legendary player. He was my father's favourite player when he was growing up. I think it was six premierships he finished with...I think he would be a fantastic candidate.

"A couple of guys I grew up watching. Allan Langer. I think he is sometimes forgotten for the things he did in the game. I think Darren Lockyer. Just given he dominated the game for a long period of time and did it playing two different positions. He came into the game as a fullback and made the transition to five-eighth. He won a Golden Boot in both positions as best player in the world."

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Broncos coach Kevin Walters has no doubt it should be Langer. "It is pretty clear in my head that Allan Langer is very much underrated as far as elite players go and Immortal players," Walters said last month. "There is nothing he didn't do on the field for the Broncos, whether it was captaining the club to four premierships or captaining Queensland to series wins or for Australia.

"Locky would be another one but I have got Alf in front of Locky at this stage. I am not saying Locky can't be an Immortal in the future but right now Alfie is the one. They have got a statue of him (at Suncorp Stadium). All they have got to do now is make him Immortal. Cameron, JT and Billy have only just recently retired. We've got to go back to the future."

with AAP