Storm star Cameron Munster opens up on off-field trouble

QUEENSLAND Origin star Cameron Munster has opened up about his battle with booze admitting, “I’ve got some issues off the field” and that he let success get to his head.

Cameron Munster. Picture : Nicki Connolly

QUEENSLAND Origin star Cameron Munster has opened up about his battle with booze and admits he needed to change his ways or risk being sacked by Melbourne.

In the most brutally honest interview of his career, Munster has broken a four-month silence, detailing his alcohol-fuelled World Cup campaign and how his ego spiralled out of control.

The 23-year-old addressed reports of a bust-up with Kangaroos teammate Ben Hunt and spoke of his future at the Storm, revealing his commitment to the club by enacting a booze ban.

Munster enjoyed a fairytale 2017, making his Origin and Test debut and winning a premiership in the space of just 16 weeks.

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Cameron Munster has opened up on his off-field issues. Picture: Nicki Connolly

But behind the glory and glamour, Munster was sinking into a dark place, turning to the demon drink to fuel a rockstar’s lifestyle that put his Australian career in jeopardy.

Munster insists he is not an alcoholic but says the support of the Storm, which has included counselling, and some honest words from coach Craig Bellamy and skipper Cameron Smith have been a wake-up call.

“I’ll be honest, I have carried on like a d***head. I had to change,” Munster told The Sunday Mail.

“There have been rumours going around about my attitude with alcohol and rightly so. I needed to sort myself out because I almost burnt some bridges with some people at the Storm.

“I’ve got some issues off the field.

“On the field, I’ve got no problems at all. I love playing footy and I’ll back myself as much as I can on the field but I’m working with some things with the club off the field and going in some directions.

“One of those directions is getting off the piss for a while. I’ve been seven weeks sober and I’m happy with that, I’m going along with it.

“I had to turn over a new page and this is the start of it for me now. I need to find a balance in my life and mend the bridges I broke.”

One of those bridges came in the form of Australian coach Mal Meninga, who was deeply concerned with Munster’s conduct during last year’s World Cup.

Riding high after Melbourne’s premiership win, Munster went into his first Kangaroos camp feeling bulletproof. He put on 5kg during the World Cup as his stint in the green-hand-gold turned into a boozy, month-long premiership after-party.

Cameron Munster starred for the Maroons in 2017.

After an alcohol-fuelled incident with Hunt during Australia’s stay in Darwin for their quarter-final, Munster was read the riot act.

Meninga warned he was on his last chance and Munster was sent to Melbourne to meet with Bellamy.

It was reported the Storm were set to sack Munster.

The situation never became quite that grave but Munster admits he had put himself in the firing line.

“Ultimately, the NRL is a business,” he said.

“If I’m not abiding by the rules, the Storm have every right to offload me.

“But I don’t want to end up as one of those players who plays good footy but becomes an absolute d***head off the field.

“I heard some stuff about me being released but it was news to me. ‘Bellyache’ actually came up to me and said, ‘Mate, we’re not releasing you’ and I said, ‘I don’t even know what you’re talking about’.

“It’s easy to get a bad reputation. I know I’m not that type of bloke, so I need to show people the real me.

“I don’t think I have an actual problem with alcohol but I was just getting carried away with making Origin and the Australian team and winning the comp in one year.

“It all came so quickly and I got too big for my boots to be honest. It went to my head.

“I thought I could do whatever I wanted and I’ve realised you can’t act like that.

“With the Storm boys, they respect me in the team but I need to lead with my actions and I’m prepared to do that.

“Smithy has spoken to me and he wants me to abide by the rules in this environment and also what I know in my heart is the right thing to do.

“I have taken all of that on board.”

Cameron Munster celebrates a try during the World Cup.

Of his reported altercation with Hunt, Munster said: “I was being a bloody idiot on the drink and went a bit overboard. There was no actual fight, I didn’t physically punch him. Once again I did some silly things on the piss.

“I’ve since spoken with ‘Hunty’ and there’s no issue between us. We had a laugh about it, so we’ve both put it behind us.”

A larrikin by nature, people are drawn to Munster’s fun-loving demeanour. But with his rise as a representative player comes appropriate standards of behaviour.

After 68 first-grade games, Munster accepts he needs to mature on and off the field, which includes being selective about when to drink.

“I’m not missing alcohol,” he said. “I’ve had some help from the club welfare people and me and the club have an agreement to work on some stuff with my personal life.

Cameron Munster and Billy Slater pose with the trophy after winning the 2017 Grand Final.

“The club has done a lot for me and I’m very grateful for what they have done.

“They gave me an opportunity here as a young kid but already I’m getting older here and need to grow up a bit.

“Bellamy has backed me up in a big way and everyone has gotten behind me.

“I basically got too comfortable with the drink, so I have to work on ways to fix that. I haven’t touched a drop for a while now, so I’m loving life and looking forward to being off the drink for as long as I can.

“The tide has turned. I’m in a good place. It’s showing in my football.

“I’m not saying I’ll give up the drink forever but I need to pick my times better and find the right balance in my football and life.”