Cameron Smith says he wants to talk to Alex McKinnon privately

Melbourne Storm skipper Cameron Smith said he wants to speak with Alex McKinnon after the paralysed former Knights player criticised him during a tell-all 60 Minutes interview.

“Clearly I'd like to speak to Alex, and I believe he'd like to speak to me also. I think it's best for both he and I that we get that done very soon," he told host Peter Sterling on Fox Sports' ‘Sterlo On The Couch’.

Smith, 32, said he had decided to move forward on the matter privately.

“First and foremost Pete ... during the week and after the story broke, my main focus was obviously my teammates and everyone involved in our squad,” he said.

Smith said following the Maroons' Origin victory, he had spent time with his family in Brisbane and thought about how to resolve the issue.

“I had an opportunity to spend a bit of time with my family in Brisbane, and to make up my mind on what I wanted to do, speaking to the public or dealing with it privately, and I just thought the most appropriate way was to do it privately.

“I didn’t think it was going to do anyone any favours at all by speaking publicly about what was said on the program on Sunday night, and my feelings or Alex's feelings, so my gut feeling was that I need to do it privately."

Smith, who has been captain of Melbourne since 2008, told a press conference earlier this week that the last few weeks had been challenging but the Maroons Origin triumph had helped settle the matter.

“I think I showed last Wednesday night I’ve put everything behind me and I’ve moved on in my own way,” Smith said.

On 60 Minutes, McKinnon expressed his dismay at Smith’s comments to the referee and said, to his knowledge, the Storm captain had not contacted him after the incident.

Smith has since received widespread support from his club and supporters across the game following the episode’s airing.

Smith will become the first player in the Storm’s history and just the 23rd in NRL history to reach the historic mark when his side takes on the Panthers in Melbourne on Friday night.

He has a record 35 Origin caps to his name in addition to 43 Australian jerseys and was named the Dally M player of the year in 2006.

He also sits inside the top 10 points scorers in the history of the game, a remarkable effort for a man dubbed “The Accountant” – a reference to his unassuming body shape and no-frills attitude to the game.