The Melbourne Storm have pulled off a $4 million recruitment coup by retaining the most sought-after talent on the NRL open market in Kangaroos and Queensland five-eighth Cameron Munster.
In a hammer blow to the NRL’s newest team, the Dolphins, Munster have rejected a four-year, $5.6 million deal from the NRL’s 17th-ranked side to re-sign with the Storm for a further four seasons until the end of 2027.
The move is a masterstroke in Storm chairman Matt Tripp’s negotiations with Melbourne’s billionaire owner spending months behind the scenes to convince the Queensland and Australian No.6 to remain a club player.
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Munster, 28, will turn 33 in the final year of the Storm’s new deal and will in all likelihood remain with the Purple Reign for the rest of his career.
“I love the Melbourne Storm and I’m proud to commit to the club for another four years,” Munster said.
“The club has always supported me, even in some of the most difficult times, and I am grateful that Trippy, Justin, Frank and Craig have given me the time I needed to think about the decision with Bianca and my family.
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“It’s such an important decision for me and at the end of the day Melbourne is where my heart is, Melbourne is where I want to play my football and Melbourne is the club I want to be a part of for the rest of my career. .
“I always wanted to be a club player. Storm gave me the opportunity to play in the NRL and the club has become a second home to me since I made my debut.
“Both Bianca and I have family in Queensland, but we are based in Melbourne, have a great support network and look forward to growing our young family in the coming years.
“Thank you to everyone who has supported me through this process and my career, especially Bianca, my son Jaxson, my parents and extended family. Also thanks to my manager Braith Anasta.
“And finally, thanks to the boys and everyone at the club, we have an exciting future ahead of us.”
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Widely regarded by many pundits as the best player in the NRL, Munster has taken a $200,000 haircut on his existing Storm contract valued at $1.2 million next season once the new deal kicks in.
Munster’s new contract is for $1 million each season from 2024 until the end of 2027.
“We know it was a huge decision for Cameron and Bianca, especially with family based in Queensland,” Tripp said.
“Cameron will always be a Queenslander, but we’re happy he now calls Melbourne home too.
“Cameron has matured a lot on and off the field over the past 12 months. He’s worked really hard in the off-season to get fit and has shown he’s once again one of the best players in the NRL competition this season, winning the Storm Player of the Year award and Dally M five-eighth player of the year in the NRL team of the year.
“Most importantly, Cameron has never been in a better place in his life, he is happy, healthy and settled with his young family, and we are delighted that he has decided to stay with the Storm and will become a a club
“We are very lucky to have a player like Cameron, a generational player, committed to our club and our city for another four years.”
Munster’s facelift comes on the heels of the NRL grand final as the five-eighth star made the decision he still wants to try and win more firsts.
Munster already have two titles to their name, but in a Melbourne Storm backbone that will consist of Ryan Papenhuyzen, Jahrome Hughes, Harry Grant and Queensland five-eighth, there is every chance of adding even more to their tally of prime minister
The move is a major coup for the Storm after the Dolphins made no secret of identifying Munster as the club’s top target for 2024, with the NRL’s 17th-ranked team set to pay five-eighths 1.4 million dollars per season as the face of the new franchise.
Given the lengthy negotiations, privately the Melbourne Storm had all but admitted Munster had gone to the Dolphins and had begun making contingency plans to target alternative five-eighths.
The Storm originally only offered Munster a two-year extension for 2024 and 2025.
It was later increased to a three-year offer until the end of 2026.
But what really sealed the deal was that Tripp took such a personal interest in the negotiations and that King Storm was prepared to offer a four-year, $4 million deal.