NRL 2024: Cameron Munster could undergo surgery in monumental blow to Queensland Maroons

Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy revealed Cameron Munster could undergo surgery on his latest injury in a massive blow for the Queensland Origin side. WATCH the footage.

Cameron Munster limps from the field. Picture: Hannah Peters/Getty Images

Melbourne five-eighth Cameron Munster has become the latest victim of the injury curse that has claimed some of State of Origin’s biggest names as the Queensland superstar prepares to undergo scans on a groin problem that threatens to rule him out of this year’s series.

Munster, destined to be one of the first players picked by Queensland coach Billy Slater, limped off the field in the opening half of the Storm’s win over Parramatta on Sunday afternoon, sending shockwaves through not just the Storm, but also the Maroons.

Slater has options in Brisbane five-eighth Ezra Mam and North Queensland playmaker Tom Dearden but Munster has been a key figure in recent years and would leave a gaping hole.

His scare adds to a growing injury toll that has ravaged the Queensland and NSW sides. The Maroons are already without Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Tom Flegler while the Blues have been hit even harder, losing Nathan Cleary, Tom Trbojevic, Cameron Murray, Bradman Best and potentially Mitchell Moses.

Munster may yet join them on the sidelines after Storm coach Craig Bellamy confirmed he had aggravated the same injury that sidelined him for the opening month of the season.

Cameron Munster off with a groin injury - no significant mechanism, pain levels through the roof.

Has been dealing with ongoing mystery groin issue since early this year - recurrence never ideal but does leave open possibility it appears worse than it actually is. Scans to come. pic.twitter.com/RnCWTl6fCI

— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) May 19, 2024

Bellamy also revealed that surgery remained an option for Munster, although that would not only rule him out of the Origin series but could end his season.

“I think if he has the operation now he probably won’t play for the rest of the year,” Bellamy said.

“He missed the first four or five games of the season with it. If he is capable of playing towards the end of the season (after surgery) we may go that way.

“He has to have a say in it too. I had a chat with Billy the other day and I am not saying he can’t play Origin either.

“I have never stopped anyone from Origin that wanted to play for the sake of the club. That will be a decision for Cameron to make when we find out what the damage is and our plan to mend it.”

It is understood Munster’s injury is similar to one suffered by former Storm star Cooper Cronk more than a decade ago, where a hip problem was causing soreness in the groin.

Cronk underwent surgery that sidelined him for three months. Munster first suffered the injury in the pre-season in Fiji when he slipped in the shower, prompting him to rest the injury through the early rounds.

He has struggled with it since returning and had a cortisone injection after the club’s loss to Cronulla last weekend in an attempt to help with his recovery.

Munster then bravely took his place against Parramatta and appeared to aggravate the injury in the first half, but elected to stay on the field.

Moments later, he reeled away in pain after attempting a tackle and had to be helped off the field. The severity of Munster’s groin injury had flown under the radar ahead of Magic Round, but there are hints in the club’s loss to the Sharks that not all was right.

At one point, after Sharks forward Oregon Kaufusi latched onto an intercept, Munster was unable to turn and chase the big prop. He bravely soldiered on but his decision to play against the Eels could now have serious ramifications for the Storm and the Maroons.

Cameron Munster screams in pain. Picture: Hannah Peters/Getty Images

“There is not much you can say really,” Bellamy said.

“He is a passionate bugger, especially with Origin coming up. He loves playing Origin, he loves playing with the Storm as well.

“He knows he is one of our leaders now and we rely a lot on him, we do. He will be upset about that. He is a great team guy, he has genuine care for the team.

“It is going to be hard for him but we will support him. When it first happened I think the medical staff thought it was fairly serious and not good at all.

“I don’t think they think it is quite that bad now. What that means I don’t know. We won’t know until he has scans and it cools down a bit.”

Originally published as NRL 2024: Cameron Munster could undergo surgery in monumental blow to Queensland Maroons