NRL 2024: Cameron Muster ups training as groin injury lingers

Cameron Munster did a gruelling wrestling session on Friday in a positive sign his NRL return may be close.

Storm coach Craig Bellamy is hopeful Cameron Munster will play next round. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy is hopeful but not confident the ailment holding back star Cameron Munster will be healed enough for him to play in round 3, but the road back to the starting 17 won’t be as easy for hulking prop Nelson Asofa-Solomona.

Munster, who missed the opening round win over Penrith and will be absent from Saturday’s clash with the Warriors after a shower slip flared up an existing groin issues, went through intense work at Storm training on Friday, including wrestling, which is what Storm’s medical staff have been doing with his injury.

As Bellamy praised the new-found capacity of Munster’s replacement, Jonah Pezet, to make his presence felt among the team’s star-studded spine, the coach said despite some issues, Munster could be ready to face the Knights in 10 days.

“He hasn’t done any training. One day it looks like he’s going to play then the next it’s flared up again,” Bellamy said on Friday.

“He just hasn’t done the amount of work and it has been bothering and a bit strange, sort of comes and goes.

“So hopefully he has a bit of consistency in his training. Last couple days went good.

“So hopefully he could continue on that and he might be right for next week.

“It’s been hard for our medical people to treat it. We’ll just see how he progresses.”

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In Munster’s absence, Pezet put on a solid showing as Storm downed the reigning premiers, Penrith, last Friday with a “gritty” defensive effort in the 8-0 win.

Bellamy was more and more confident in the young playmaker being able to insert himself in matches at the right time under the guidance of the likes of captain Harry Grant and halfback Jahrome Hughes.

“He’s a confident kid … he does plenty of talking, plenty of organising,” he said.

“With his contact, he’s not a real big guy, but that’s the area he has improved with his defence and just needs to make sure he does a good job with that.

“He kicks well, and the rest of it falls into place.”

Giant prop Asofa-Solomona is yet to be seen this season after suffering a hamstring injury and while he’s listed to be available for round 3, Bellamy expects a longer path back to the NRL for him, with passage through the club’s feeder teams most likely when he’s ready to play.

“I’m not too sure, with Nelson, he’s had a couple of relapses,” Bellamy said.

“So, you know, he needs to do a fair bit more training before you’ll come back into, you know, our all sides.

“We’ll just see how he progresses in the next couple of weeks.”