In a surprising display of selflessness that has turned heads across the National Rugby League (NRL), long-time Melbourne Storm head coach Craig Bellamy has publicly given his blessing to star five-eighth Cameron Munster, should the Queensland captain choose to finish his professional playing career with the expansion PNG Chiefs. The unexpected development comes after it was confirmed earlier this week that the Storm has granted Munster permission to begin contract negotiations with the Papua New Guinea-based franchise for a 2028 move. Now in his 13th season with the Melbourne Storm, Munster still has one full year remaining on his current contract with the club, keeping him tied to Melbourne through the 2027 season. At 31 years old—with his 32nd birthday just weeks away—the veteran playmaker would bring elite experience and on-field leadership to the new-look Chiefs side, where he is slated to partner dynamic halfback Jarome Luai in the halves if the transfer goes through. While a permanent move to PNG remains far from finalized, and a contract extension to keep Munster in Melbourne is still a possible outcome, Bellamy emphasized that his star player has more than earned the right to pursue a lucrative contract with the expansion franchise. “I think ‘Mun’ has done a whole heap for our club, and he’s done it for a long period of time,” Bellamy told reporters. “He’s been a wonderful player for our club, so if he sees that he wants to go to the team in Papua New Guinea then I’d be happy to let him go.” Bellamy noted that final roster decisions are ultimately made by club leadership, not just himself, but added that Munster’s decades of loyalty and service to the Storm justify his right to prioritize what is best for his career and his family’s long-term future. “There are other people in the club that make that decision, and I don’t know if that will be the same decision as me, but he’s done a lot for our club, has been a valuable servant and very loyal,” Bellamy said. “If he wants to do that and that’s going to help him in later life then I’m willing to say OK, but there’s got to be a bit of water that flows under the bridge before he goes there, so we’ll just see what happens. I’ll go on the record as saying that if he wants to go and his family wants to go, then he goes with my blessing.” Current Melbourne Storm captain Harry Grant echoed Bellamy’s supportive stance, arguing that Munster has every right to explore his options at this stage of his career, particularly with Munster currently sidelined recovering from a knee injury that has given him time to consider his future. “It’ll probably be a busy time with the World Cup and everything like that later in the year, so it’s probably not a bad time for him to have that look,” Grant said. “That’s just part of the game. The NRL has brought a couple of new teams in so I don’t think you can fault players for having that opportunity to talk to them.” The positive discussion around Munster’s future was overshadowed by fresh injury news for the Storm, however, as Grant himself became the club’s latest high-profile player to go down with a soft tissue injury. The world-class hooker was forced to leave the field just before halftime during Melbourne’s narrow 28-26 defeat to the South Sydney Rabbitohs, after suffering a hamstring strain while accelerating during play. The injury leaves Melbourne’s hopes of scraping into the top eight for the 2024 playoffs hanging by only a mathematical thread. Grant told reporters that while injuries are an unavoidable part of rugby league, the recent spike in soft tissue injuries coming out of the State of Origin series deserves closer review from league officials. “It’s just part of footy, but it’s disappointing,” Grant said in the post-match sheds. “It was just running when I was accelerating. It’s part of the game and it’s a pretty common occurrence at the moment from last week into this week on the back of the Origin period. I think that’s got to be looked at a bit.” The skipper added that he is hopeful of returning to complete the 2024 season once he receives the results of an upcoming scan to assess the severity of the injury. “It feels pretty similar to the other ones on my left leg, but you’re just going off your feeling and the memory of last time,” Grant said. “I’ll get a scan and go from there. Fingers crossed I play again this year, but you’re a little bit blind until you go for scans and get some feedback.”
‘He goes with my blessing’: Craig Bellamy’s touching message to Cameron Munster as Harry Grant gives an update on his injury
