NRL 2024: Cameron Munster wary of adjustment issues at Melbourne Storm

A returning Melbourne Storm star says he doesn’t want to mess with a winning formula as the end to a previous season plays on his mind.

Melbourne Storm star Cameron Munster says he does not want to ‘ruin it for everyone’ by disrupting the side’s cohesion when he returns. Picture: Brendon Thorne / Getty Images

Melbourne Storm star Cameron Munster wants to avoid a repeat of his side’s botched 2021 finals campaign as he stands poised to return to the starting line-up on Saturday.

Munster, who has been named to start at No. 6 ahead of Storm’s clash against St George Illawarra, says he is “walking like a duck” as he braces for surgery on both hips at the season’s end.

The 29-year-old said the groin issue which had kept him out for 11 weeks and completely ruined his State of Origin campaign had abated after he came off the bench in last week’s win over Parramatta.

But with the Storm humming in his absence and top of the table, he was wary of disrupting the chemistry of the side when he returned to the five-eighth role.

Melbourne Storm star Cameron Munster says he does not wants to return as seamlessly as possible to a side which performed superbly in his absence. Picture: Brendon Thorne / Getty Images

He said he was still “haunted” by the 2021 campaign in which the Storm claimed the minor premiership but were ousted by Penrith in the preliminary final.

“We had that situation in 2021 when Paps (Ryan Papenhuyzen) got injured and Nicho (Hynes) came back and played some really good footy,” Munster said.

“Then Paps came back and we kind of lost our cohesion, our combinations … I just don’t want to do that again to the boys.

“It was a pretty regretful year, 2021, it still haunts myself to this day. We’ve got a pretty good opportunity this year and I don’t want to ruin it for everyone.”

Storm captain Harry Grant laughed off Munster’s comments and said he would fit straight in after Tyran Wishart performed strongly in his absence.

“I think there’s definitely lessons learnt over all the years … but I think Muns is looking into that a little too deep at the moment,” Grant said.

Wests Tigers prop Stefano Utoikamanu has been linked to Melbourne Storm after announcing he was quitting his club. Picture: Scott Gardiner / Getty Images

“Bless him, that’s just the way he is – he’s a team person and he’s not thinking about himself and what he can bring to the team.

“It doesn’t take much for our team to have an Australian, Queensland, most-capped Storm player come back into the team … I think whatever team he goes into, he just makes the team a better team.”

Munster said departing Wests Tigers prop Stefano Utoikamanu would be a “great asset” but did not know whether Storm was in the hunt for his services.

“He’s a great asset for any team. He’s got a lot of upside – he’s young, he’s fast, he’s big,” Munster said.

“I’m sure he’d be very good in any team … that’s higher up than my pay grade, that’s the reason (Bellamy) and the recruiting guys are here.”

Originally published as NRL 2024: Cameron Munster wary of adjustment issues at Melbourne Storm