Melbourne superstar Cameron Munster is set to earn $1.2 million from the Storm next year under his current contract.
But he could walk away from that to take less at a rival club.
Munster is the target of interest from the NRL’s newest team, the Dolphins, which will debut in the competition next season.
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They have a large bank and are yet to sign a marquee playmaker. Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett met with Knights fullback Kalyn Ponga last week, but reports are the gun No.1 will commit his future in the Hunter and snub the riches from up north.
Munster, though, is in an entirely different position to that of Ponga.
The 27-year-old five-eighth is contract to the Storm for next season, but is yet to agree to terms beyond that.
Nine’s NRL reporter Ben Dobson explained the situation to Triple M radio.
“At the moment (Munster) has been in some negotiations with the Storm about an extension. My understanding is he has only been offered $750,000 a year for a three-year extension. To put it in context, next year at the Storm he is on $1.2 million,” Dobson said.
“So the Storm clearly don’t think Munster is worth the money the following year, hence that offer of $750,000.
“The Dolphins have gone on record, they’ve absolutely said this to me today, that if they could get Cameron Munster they are prepared to pay, for a three-year deal, $1 million a season.
“I think he’s worth $1 million to the Dolphins, but is he worth $1 million to the Storm? Clearly not.
“But he’s an Origin winner, he’s a premiership winner, he is a World Cup winner… he’s done everything in the game.
“There is some off-field issues that come with Munster in the past, so that issue obviously doesn’t bode well with him at the Storm.
On his day, Munster is the best five-eighth in the NRL.
But his form has been patchy in recent seasons, and he has a habit of getting into strife away from the footy field, most recently punished for appearing the white-powder video scandal.
It’s for these reasons that, despite being contracted for 2023, Dobson believes Munster could make a move at the end of this current season.
The Storm have invested heavily in Ryan Papenhuyzen, Jahrome Hughes, and Harry Grant.
“If the Dolphins come knocking at the end of the year and say, ‘we want to wash out Munster’s contract – we’ll pay the million, you pay $200,000, and we’ll take Cameron Munster off your hands’,” Dobson said.
“That gives the Storm $1 million next year to go and get some players.”
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