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Message: [QUOTE="WASSHHH, post: 2873657, member: 9424"] I don't know him personally, so I can't argue with what the guy you know said. I also don't doubt he is a nice person, not one bit. However, one example that comes to mind is never sitting out a game - even when asked to by his coach. The coach, who ultimately has his head on the chopping block, obviously thinks it's best for the team. That may be to rest the player, expose a young player to NRL when the game isn't an overly important one etc. But I can't think of a time when Smith hasn't overruled Bellamy. Now I am not naive enough to think that's not the approach of pretty much every player, but toward the end of his career, I remember Lockyer sitting out a game (or games, my memory is not that amazing to recall every game of every year) when asked to do so (by Griffin I think), because it was better for the team. Same thing when Sheens was the coach of the Australian team - Smith flat out refused to sit out a game and let Farah start (who could blame him, right...). Obviously Sheens thought it was best for the team to expose Farah to the environment, in the event he is needed or to test out combinations (or because he loved Farah, most likely). But if my memory serves me correctly, I do recall Lockyer sitting out so that Carney could play 6. It just doesn't sit well with me when players overrule their coaches requests for games that aren't important - that's not being a team player and lends me to think he is chasing records for games played. If it was a sudden death game (NRL, Origin, Test) then I understand. But just another game, it's not the same. And to reinforce my thoughts, Lockyer sat out the 2011 preliminary final because he didn't want to risk being a liability to the team, which essentially ended up retiring him from the NRL. That's a team man. I honestly don't see Smith doing the same. With that said, that's just my opinion, one of just an average fan who has no claim to being a league fountain-of-knowledge. [/QUOTE]

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