Melbourne Storm captain Cameron Smith is likely to still be playing in the NRL in 2020, according to James Hooper.

Smith retired from representative football just three weeks out from game one of this year’s State of Origin series, and it now seems his reasoning for the decision was to extend his club career.

The veteran hooker, who is off-contract this season, has just turned 35, and will be 37 by the time the 2020 season ends.

Should he stay on for two and a half more seasons and be free of injury, Smith will easily become the first player to reach the 400-game mark, and move well past it.

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He has already broken Darren Lockyer’s previous all-time first grade games record of 355, and Hooper believes Smith will put pen to paper on an extension, likely for another two years.

“We just spoke a moment ago about Cameron Smith, and the fact that it looks as though he is definitely going to go for another couple of seasons,” Hooper told Triple M.

“So, look, as it stands at the moment, Cameron’s played 372 NRL games which is clearly a massive, massive achievement.

“But beyond that, if he plays every game for the rest of this season, he’ll go past 380.

“Then, from what I’m hearing at the moment, I think he’s definitely going to play next season and most likely even a season beyond that, provided his body holds up.”

Smith made his NRL debut for the Storm way back in 2002 against the Bulldogs.

He has captained Melbourne to four grand final wins, in 2007, 2009, 2012 and 2017, but the first two of those premierships were stripped due to salary cap breaches.

If Smith plays in 2020, it will be his 19th season in the NRL.