NRL 2024: Cameron Munster in doubt for opening round clash with Penrith

Melbourne Storm hasn’t lost a round 1 clash in more than two decades but is set to face Penrith without a superstar playmaker.

Melbourne Storm gun Cameron Munster will “pull the pin” by Wednesday and rule himself out of his team’s season-opening clash with Penrith if he can’t overcome groin issues that intensified after a slip in the shower.

Storm faces the reigning premiers at AAMI Park on Friday night and Munster is yet to train fully since the shower slip when his team was in Fiji for a pre-season clash with Newcastle stirred up the injury he endured most of last season.

Penrith thrashed Storm 38-4 in last year’s preliminary final before going on to win a third straight NRL premiership.

Munster, who battled osteitis pubis before and during last season, had hoped he had overcome the issue but felt the latest setback it was related, labelling it “frustrating”.

He said if he couldn’t reach his preferred level of fitness for the clash, he’d rule himself out.

“I was looking good for the Fiji game and then I slipped in the shower so it wasn’t ideal,” Munster said on Monday.

“It’s a frustrating injury but I’m doing everything I can to get it right.

A slip in the shower could rule Cameron Munster of round 1. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

“I tried to do a little bit today but I need to be 80 to 100 per cent to be able to play on Friday...if I’m not right by Tuesday or Wednesday I will pull the pin.”

Storm has won 21 straight opening round encounters since Craig Bellamy took over as coach, and Munster’s absence could be the blow that ends Melbourne’s streak.

Munster said scans confirmed that it was a groin issue, and he was working as hard as he could to address it.

“I finally shook that but something’s come back and I had scans and there’s a bit of inflammation in the groin,” he said.

“I’m going to try and figure out what I can do around the body to try and strengthen everything up, like the core and glutes.”

Should Munster be ruled out, Jonah Pezet would be the man most likely to wear his No.6 jersey.