There hasn't been much that Cameron Smith has done wrong in his long and illustrious rugby league career. Think of how many Australian rugby league players there are and that Smith is the skipper of the Kangaroos; he's the leader of Australian rugby league because he is one of, if not the most respected player in the game.

Critics will point to the salary cap drama that swept over the Melbourne Storm when trying to cut down Smith, but to lay any sort of blame on Smith would be wrong. As the best dummy half in the game, you would expect that Smith was a benefactor of some cheeky brown-paper-bag payments, but I doubt he would have asked for that, he would have just said yes. Forget your position upon your moral throne, I'd definitely say yes in that situation so whatever.

It's that clean image and immense ability that sets Smith apart. He's been one of the loudest voices for player welfare, a spokesman for players because when Smith speaks, people tend to listen. Yet a few weeks ago this image and the perception of Smith was severely test as Alex McKinnon spoke on his horrific career-ending injury. While the feature on 60 Minutes was largely about love and positivity, the strength of a young man and those closest to him, the most discussed aspect of all of that was Smith and his actions at the time of the incident.

This came about just before the third and final State Of Origin game of 2015; the decider. In rugby league, it doesn't get much bigger than that and the Kangaroos and Queensland Maroons captain found himself being questioned. Everyone spoke highly of Smith around this time, with those who defended him point to Smith's clean history as evidence that he wouldn't maliciously disregard McKinnon's well-being and those who were neutral were shocked that Smith could do such a thing. None of this was new, as many people noted Smith's actions at the time of the incident, but this was the first time that we had heard McKinnon speak on the issue and he wasn't happy.

For the man in question - Smith, this would have been a major distraction at any stage of the season, but a few days before a deciding Origin game? Yikes, you could forgive anyone for being a bit confused or full of thoughts that would take away from the task at hand. Understandably, Smith didn't speak on the matter as he hunkered down and prepared to go up against a rampant New South Wales side. A New South Wales side who had welcomed McKinnon into their camp in the build up to this game.

How Smith blocked all of that out and led Queensland to a historic win over the Blues is beyond me. He did, however let his footy do the talking and played like a future Immortal.

But he also snubbed Channel 9, the broadcaster of State Of Origin and the broadcaster behind 60 Minutes. Smith did so because Channel 9 hadn't bothered to approach Smith to hear his views on the matter, which is fair enough as the feature was to be all about McKinnon and those around him, but it was then packaged differently and subsequently all we remember from that feature is the Smith bit, not the love or strength of McKinnon and his loved ones.

Smith does have a much cosier relationship with Fox Sports, Channel 9's rival so you wouldn't imagine that Smith had much issue in the snubbing. He was eventually coerced into speaking on Peter Sterling's show on Fox, but didn't stir the pot and up to that point his silence spoke volumes.

Everyone wanted to know what Smith thought, but everyone knew that Smith wouldn't allow this to distract him leading into the Origin game. So after that game everyone ramped up their anticipation to hear what Smith's opinion, but personally, I loved his silence and his desire to settle the matter privately. Smith wasn't about to be dragged into a verbal stoush with anyone, which for mine is the mark of Smith.

Last weekend, Smith played his 300th game in the NRL and for the Melbourne Storm which saw the Storm dismantle the Penrith Panthers. Smith had two try assists, the same as Blake Green and Cooper Cronk, the Storm's halves and had a staggering 117 touches of the footy. Immediately after that game three Origin win, the Storm had gone down to the Warriors, but this game was a celebration, a celebration of Cameron Smith and what he means to the Storm.

In this period of turmoil, Smith captained Queensland to a 52-6 win and captained the Melbourne Storm to a 52-10 win in his 300th game. You can chuck in the loss to the Warriors and I'll still view this as a remarkable effort, to blank out the outside world as they hustle to grab a piece of your mind when everything you stand for is questioned, somehow he did it.

Somehow, but that's what future Immortals do. It's what sets Immortals and 'great players' apart and the way that Smith has already dealt with the backlash against him and how we all envision Smith dealing with it moving forward should also speak volumes. Smith and McKinnon will break bread and we'll probably know all about it, but not because Smith nor McKinnon wants us to. There are professionals who's job it is to find that out, but I would be happy to not know how this goes down. All that's left is for two grown men to deal with a situation that is between them, but over the past few weeks I have come to view Smith as THE leader of the NRL and rugby league..

Forget officials, forget stakeholders and what not, Smith has shown how to deal with shitty situations and has emerged as someone that I, as a rugby league lover, would follow in a heartbeat.