WHEN Melbourne Storm captain Cameron Smith and coach Craig Bellamy attended the team's post-match media conference last Saturday night following its 48-20 thrashing of North Queensland, all the buzz was about the sizzling performance of Greg Inglis.

The back-line superstar had been moved back into the centres, which many believe is his best position, and scored three tries. But when asked about the performance, which came after his match-winning effort for Queensland in this year's second state of origin, both Smith and Bellamy seemed nonplussed. Bellamy said: "Greg was great there for 60 minutes. It took him 20 to warm up but he was all right after that."

With Inglis due to join Smith and a host of other Storm teammates in the Maroons camp today, Smith explained that while stand-out performances were well and good, the 21-year-old must begin to show that level every game for the Storm.

"Even though he hasn't been producing that for the whole year, that's what we expect out of him because we know he is a quality player and when he turns up and decides to play like that he can," Smith said.

"That's probably why our reaction was a bit like that in the press conference. Even though all the media are all over him at the moment because he's playing well we expect that out of him every week.

"He showed that he can do it in origin and that's probably the toughest type of game you can play so if you can do that in origin I'm pretty sure you can do it every week.

"With GI he's a very laid-back sort of bloke. He enjoys his footy but it's not the be-all and end-all for him.

"He loves playing but if he turns up and wants to produce something like that he will, but if he doesn't he'll just wait out on the field until the ball comes to him and does what he has to do."

Smith said Inglis had become more consistent in contributing to the team since he was shifted to five-eighth for the Storm last year, but his off-games could still be frustrating.

So, has Smith any idea of how to pick which Inglis will run onto Sydney's ANZ Stadium next Wednesday for this year's origin decider — the one who was thoroughly outplayed by NSW centre Mark Gasnier in game one or the one who starred in the second clash?

"I think every time he has a quiet week at training he has a quiet game. I'm not saying his quiet games are bad, it's just that he waits until the ball comes to him and he does his stuff but as you saw (against the Cowboys) when he wants the football in his hands and when he's calling for the ball you know he's going to have a good game," Smith said.