Cameron Smith will always be the one that got away from Brisbane.
But Broncos coach Wayne Bennett has revealed he never got the feeling Smith wanted to sign with them in the first place.
Broncos fans will again wonder "what if" when Smith leads Melbourne out against Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.
History shows a teenage Smith surprisingly knocked back Bennett's overtures and snapped up a $5000 bargain basement deal to begin a glittering career with Melbourne.
But Bennett said it was no surprise to him at the time.
Has he ever wondered what might have been? According to Bennett, he walked away from the meeting with a bad "vibe".
"I don't believe that (Smith wanted to come to Brisbane) actually, never have," Bennett said of his initial talk with future Immortal Smith in the early 2000s.
"I was at the meeting and I never got one vibe that day that he was going to the Broncos.
"But that is the way it is. That's fine. It happens.
"There is no grief there, you just get on with life."
Bennett said he would have to be content with coaching Smith at Queensland and All Stars level.
"You always want to coach the really good players in the game and he is one of those but it didn't happen," he said.
"But I have coached him in All Stars teams and enjoyed working with him.
"And I selected him for his first Origin game (in 2003). I was his first Origin coach."
Should Storm skipper Smith play on?
"That's up to him," said Bennett. "I can't tell you what he is going to do but he has been a remarkable player and is still playing great football.
"I hate naming the best because I think that is unfair on a whole lot of others but in the grand final of hookers he is going to be right on the top of them."
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