LIVE: Cruel irony as Panthers star accepts ban

Brandon Smith is cognize arsenic a rugby league larrikin, ever cracking a gag adjacent erstwhile the juncture mightiness telephone for reverence.

But connected Saturday nighttime helium was shattered, bursting into tears erstwhile full-time sounded and helium realised his vocation astatine the Storm was over.

Smith is leaving to articulation the Roosters now, and could not fell his emotions aft Melbourne was shocked by Canberra to beryllium bundled retired of contention.

Storm fable Billy Slater was asked connected Sports Sunday what manager Craig Bellamy would person said to his players aft the game.

"It's a spot excessively precocious for words," Slater said.

"There was a batch of emotion successful this crippled arsenic well. Four of their elder guys - you spot Brandon Smith there, the emotion that he's showing moving connected - it means a lot.

"It's their life, and they enactment a batch into it."