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Storm star Cameron Munster revealed he as good as gone from the club before Penrith’s Grand Final win and a conversation with Craig Bellamy brought about a change of heart.
The Daily Telegraph reported Munster was set to leave Melbourne, but a heart-to-heart with Bellamy and a burning desire to emulate Penrith and win more premierships convinced him the Storm was the club for him for the rest of his career.
“I was done,” Munster told News Corp.
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“Trippy [Chair Matt Tripp] and the owners and the club knew that.”
Munster revealed that he was not keen on staying at Melbourne if Bellamy was going to leave the coaching ranks at the end of 2023, before a chat with the master coach gave him some clarity.
“I kind of told Craig that if he wasn’t staying on, I was going,” Munster said.
“He reassured me that he was probably going to have one more year and who knows, he might keep going. Who knows with him.
“That was one of the turning points.”
Munster also revealed Penrith’s charge to back-to-back titles lit a fire in him to get back to the top of the NRL mountain and he believes the Storm is the club that can help him do that.
“I thought I might as well go and challenge myself somewhere else – then I saw how Penrith won the final and went back-to-back, and how competitive they have been,” Munster said.
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“I felt like I wanted to be competitive and play finals football. I felt the best chance to win another premiership was in Melbourne.
“Regardless of who is going to be the coach or the coaching staff, Melbourne is probably the place to get the best out of myself.”
Munster revealed the stress of his contract negotiations got to him as he weighed up leaving the club he has played his whole career at.
“It has obviously been a stressful time – I am not going to lie,” Munster said.
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“I was jumping back and forth with decisions about what was best for me. I am not a guy who stresses out at all but I reckon this is the most stressful time I have had.
“I never wanted to leave and there was a stage there where I was going to do it. I had the idea that I was leaving.
“I had come to terms with it. I was like I am over the negotiations.”
Now that his career is locked in with the Storm until 2027, Munster is excited to finish his career a one-club plauyer, but he revealed how close he came to walking out the door.
“It is something I am happy with and I won’t regret the decision,” Munster said.
“I am excited for the next five years. I am very lucky that it is done and dusted now and I can play some good footy for Australia.
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“Obviously we both had sudden changes of heart and tried to make it work. Ask anyone I was playing with and close to me and they thought I was a done deal and gone.
“I thought I was as well. I was not staying there, I came to terms with that. I was legit waiting until November to have a look at my options and see what options I had.
“There was lots of speculation about Redcliffe but I didn’t have any formal offers.”
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