Taking the field only three days after the NRL stripped the club of the 2007 and 2009 premierships and banned it from earning any competition points this year due to massive salary cap breaches, the Storm blew the Warriors out of Etihad Stadium.

Smith said his tight-knit group never considered not playing, adding he had not given up hope that the NRL would relent on its decision to ban them from accruing any points in 2010.

The Storm players were meeting with the rugby league players association late last night to discuss a wide range of options, including the possibility of taking pay cuts in an attempt to get under the salary cap.

"We've played in grand finals and they're huge occasions," said Smith, a key member of the all-conquering Queensland and Australian teams and skipper of the Storm side that lifted the 2007 and 2009 premiership trophies.

"But I guess for an occasion that's built up so highly as tonight, I don't think we've gotten over a bigger hurdle.

"There was a lot of adversity we had to get through this week, not only to be able to show up tonight, sitting around home not knowing how we were going to feel today, how we were going to feel next week.

"I think to a man it's probably the proudest moment of all our careers."

Smith and Storm coach Craig Bellamy were joined at the regular post-match press conference by all the players who participated in the 34-point thrashing of the Warriors.

It was the second mass show of strength in as many days, after the roster stood shoulder-to-shoulder behind Bellamy as the coach read a statement before training on Saturday.

Bellamy said he was confident they could rebuild.