‘Shock to the system’: Anasta speaks on potential Munster exit
Talks between the PNG Chiefs and Cameron Munster may have been approved by Melbourne, but the playmaker’s manager, Braith Anasta, claims that does not mean he will be leaving the Storm.
Anasta confirmed permission had been granted for his client to speak with PNG when speaking to Triple M Breakfast on Friday, with the Storm agreeing to the gesture out of respect for the champion.
Cameron Munster during the Origin decider. Getty Images
Munster doesn’t come off-contract until the end of next season, which means he was set to become a free agent from November 1.
The Storm acknowledged in an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald on Thursday that if PNG were to table an offer that they couldn’t compete with, the club “wouldn’t begrudge” Munster for taking it up.
“He’s been a great servant of our club and a valued member of our club always, and we want to do the right thing by him,” Melbourne chairman Matt Tripp said.
The five-eighth is sidelined with a knee injury and isn’t expected back until round 23 for the Storm, who are still fighting for a spot in the NRL finals.
But the rules that allow Chiefs players to earn tax-free money is an opportunity Anasta noted should not be ignored.
“We have to look at every option,” Anasta told Triple M Breakfast.
“There is no indication that Munster is going to leave Melbourne - they are still very much interested in keeping him.
“They have such a great relationship and so much mutual respect. He has earned the right (to explore other options) but he is fiercely loyal to the Storm.
“Cameron has had a number of big offers over the years, some lucrative offers, but he stayed loyal. This guy just lives and breathes Melbourne and Queensland.
“This is not to say he is going anywhere, but there is a level of interest and we sought permission (to explore that).”
Melbourne have tabled a two-year extension for the Maroons skipper, which would keep him at the club until 2029 and make him a one-club player.
Cameron Munster will miss at least a month for the Storm. Getty Images
Munster has played his entire NRL career to date with the Storm, featuring on 251 occasions for the club and winning premierships in 2017 and 2020.
A possible move to the Chiefs has been rumoured since the club’s inception and gained steam earlier this year when Willie Peters, also managed by Anasta, was named head coach.
Anasta clarified PNG are the only team aside from the Storm who he is speaking to on Munster’s behalf and that the idea of exploring an opportunity with a rival team has been a bit of “a shock to the system” for Munster.
“Even for him, it is probably a bit of an uncomfortable situation,” Anasta said as he reflected on Munster’s loyalty to the club he is now considering departing.
“That is why we decided not to go over (to PNG), which says a lot about Cameron. We didn’t want the media and everything that comes with it.
“But you have to explore your opportunities, especially one like this. It doesn’t mean it will happen. Every manager would do it, every player would look at it.”
While it’s a long way from being set in stone, Munster joining PNG for their inaugural season would be yet another enormous coup for Michael Chammas.
It will also fuel further question marks and concerns around the expansion franchise’s clear financial advantage over the other 18 clubs - most notably the incoming Perth Bears, who have failed to land any high-profile stars.
In comparison, the Chiefs have already signed Jarome Luai and appear to be on the verge of adding Joseph Manu and Zac Lomax to their roster.
Zac Lomax. Getty
This year’s November 1 free agency period also looms as one of the wildest yet, with some of the game’s biggest names coming off-contract.
Nathan Cleary and Sam Walker - the two halfbacks from this year’s Origin series - look destined to test their worth on the open market, while the likes of Latrell Mitchell, Herbie Farnworth and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow face uncertain futures.
Penrith are facing the toughest challenge of their dynasty era, with Cleary just one of 11 names who could become available and be free to sign elsewhere.
The money on offer from the Chiefs can’t possibly go to all of them, but their presence has certainly forced a shift for the other clubs in how they recruit and retain players, both before November 1 and after the frenzy kicks off.
