An sincere Cameron Munster mentioned he’s nonetheless but to talk with Wayne Bennett since turning down a profitable supply from the Dolphins to as a substitute lengthen with the Melbourne Storm.
The NRL’s latest growth staff closely pursued Munster, who admitted it was a “hard decision” to knock again the supply from the Dolphins.
But in an interview with Billy Slater for Nine’s Sunday Footy Show, The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald, Munster opened up on why he made the decision to remain put with Melbourne in addition to his strained relationship with Bennett.
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“I knew it was the decision I wanted to make,” Munster mentioned.
“I wouldn’t regret it. I knew I was going all-in regardless of what club I was going to stay at. “I’ll do everything I can to obviously make the next five years count not just for myself but for the club in general.
“It was [a hard decision]. It was hard for my family. Obviously the money that was being thrown around, I don’t think I will ever make that money ever again.”
But it was not the choice itself that sparked the lingering animosity between himself and Bennett.
Rather, the legendary coach was as a substitute extremely vital of the actual fact Munster didn’t give him the courtesy of a telephone name to let him know he had made that call.
It meant Bennett would discover out he had missed out on Munster’s signature by the media, describing it as “pretty ordinary stuff” from the Melbourne five-eighth.
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“I haven’t really spoken to him yet,” Munster instructed Slater, virtually 5 months after these feedback from Bennett.
“It’s still an open wound, still fresh for not only him but the Dolphins in general. I’m sure they will beat it up in whatever round we have the Dolphins this year.”
Munster went into additional element in an interview with Channel 7 in January, explaining he had requested his supervisor upfront if he ought to inform Bennett of his choice first.
“I asked my manager if it was an alright decision to call (Bennett) before it leaked, before I jumped on the plane,” Munster mentioned on the time.
“And he said, ‘Nah, wait until it has leaked’. And by the time that all came about, I was already in the UK (for the World Cup).
“I did have the right intentions to ring him straight after I landed but, after seeing the comments that he came out with, I felt like it was pretty disappointing, and I had a little bit of animosity towards it. That’s one of the reasons why I have decided not to ring him.
“I had every right and every respect to ring him, and I should have, but I just didn’t like the way they went about it.”
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Munster mentioned within the interview with Slater that the possibility to play in and study from teammates in Melbourne’s star-studded backbone additionally factored into his last choice.
“I spoke to the spine,” he added.
“Obviously the talent pool we’ve got in the spine, I thought it would be beneficial for myself. I think we can take the next generation of kids around the Storm and hopefully make it enjoyable for the next five years.”
Lifestyle additionally influenced Munster’s name, with the 28-year-old admitting it was “the best decision” he might have made to delay a potential return to Queensland till his profession is over.
“Obviously it’s a bit surreal to be staying here but just being able to live my life a little bit more and enjoy the little things with my son and partner,” Munster mentioned.
“You get noticed a lot more there [in Queensland] and I don’t know if I would’ve been able to live the life I want to live while playing footy.
“Maybe in the next five or six years after my career is done I’ll head home but I think the best decision I made was to stay down here and enjoy the little things a little bit more with my family.”
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Munster additionally appeared to substantiate what Craig Bellamy mentioned earlier within the week, that the Storm’s longtime coach seems set to lastly stroll away from the highest job on the finish of this yr.
“Bellyache came up to me last year when we were playing the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium and told me he honestly wouldn’t be going on next year [2024] as a coach, he would be more of a mentor,” Munster mentioned.
“But knowing he will still be around the club was something that satisfied me.”
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