CAM SMITH's bombshell suspension from the NRL grand final could have one last aftershock: relinquishment of his status as the greatest player in the world.

The prestigious Golden Boot award will be announced in Brisbane tomorrow night and Smith's absence from the NRL decider, paired with the sizzling season from his club, Origin and Test teammate Billy Slater, means he will be hard-pressed to retain his position of pre-eminence.

Slater went within a whisker of winning the Dally M award in the NRL. Only a suspension late in the season prevented him from sneaking past Manly captain Matt Orford.

He was the most consistently electrifying player in the toughest competition on the planet, confirmed by his being named player of the year for the minor premiers at a club where superstars, including Smith, are wall to wall.

Fullback is one of the most intensely fought positions for Queensland and Australia and Slater, who stole Brett Stewart's No.1 jumper for the Centenary Test against New Zealand, has entrenched himself as the code's leading custodian.

The Golden Boot winner will be an Australian if the award is to maintain credibility and Slater has ticked every possible box except a winning grand final appearance. He was still one of the Storm's best in the thumping from Manly and the Eagles players, snubbed from most representative sides during the qualification period, are not contenders.

The Rugby League International Federation's awards night will be held at Suncorp Stadium tomorrow night, recognising achievements between October 2007 and last month.

The eligibility year runs from the day after the 2007 NRL grand final to the day of this year's NRL grand final. Slater's efforts during the World Cup will not count but he already has plenty of runs on the board.

Stewart's rip-roaring year with Manly could have made him a contender but he was omitted from the Centenary Test and relinquished the NSW starting fullback's role to Newcastle utility Kurt Gidley.

Those two selection disappointments will cost him any hope. Smith still looms as Slater's main threat but he didn't play the biggest club game of the year. Past winners of The Golden Boot are a who's who of league including Wally Lewis (1985), Brett Kenny (1986), Peter Sterling (1988), Mal Meninga (1990), Brad Fittler (2000), Andrew Johns (1999 and 2001) and Darren Lockyer (2003 and 2006).