SEN’s Cameron Smith expects 2023 to be Cameron Munster’s final year for the Melbourne Storm as the star playmaker has yet to commit to the club.
Munster fought valiantly against the Canberra Raiders but ultimately he and his teammates fell short as they were eliminated from the 2022 finals series in a brutal 28-20 loss.
The 27-year-old's contract future has dominated headlines all year but Smith, who was Munster’s former teammate, said that the five-eighth would’ve recommitted to the club by now if he was going to stay.
“If I’m brutally honest, if he was to commit to the Melbourne Storm and extend his contract, he would’ve done so by now,” Smith said on SEN 1170 Breakfast.
“That’s my gut feeling.
“He’s been at the club since he was 16 years of age and we’ve heard (Munster’s manager) Braith Anasta come out and say the Melbourne Storm offer is in the area it should be.
“So what’s holding him back?
“As bad as this may sound for all the Storm supporters and myself, I feel like he will be going to the Dolphins.
The Storm’s season has ended and with it comes a number of personnel changes at the club including the Bromwich brothers and Felise Kaufusi to the Dolphins and Brandon Smith to the Sydney Roosters.
Smith said that the Storm are now facing a tricky battle in replacing the experience that those four players had in the squad.
“They’re four premiership players and four representative players as well,” Smith added.
“They’re losing a whole heap of experience.
“They are four players that are also in their starting 13 so it’s a big chunk of their starting side now out of this team.
“This is going to be a big challenge for the club and Craig Bellamy as coach.”
The Storm finished outside the top four for the first time since 2014 and it ultimately proved costly as they bowed out in the first week of finals.