23 May 2010

Smith out of Origin I

6:49 am on 23 May 2010

The Melbourne Storm hooker Cameron Smith is out of rugby league's State of Origin 1 after losing a battle to recover from injury in time.

Smith has been receiving intensive physio for a dislocated elbow but failed a private fitness test on Saturday afternoon and immediately told his Origin room-mate, the Manly hooker Matt Ballin, who will now debut in Sydney on Wednesday instead.

Ballin at first thought Smith was joking.

Smith dislocated the elbow in the Test match against New Zealand on May the 7th.