The NRL world has reacted to Cameron Munster’s huge contract call, with the competition’s newest franchise deemed to be in big trouble after missing out on “the best player in the game” and their prized long-term target.
The 28-year-old rejected the Dolphins’ four-year $5.6 million offer to re-sign with the Storm on a four-year $4 million-dollar deal.
Fox League’s James Hooper revealed Melbourne were resigned to the fact Munster would be making the move north, however their upgraded offer was enough to get negotiations over the line.
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Now the Dolphins remain without a marquee player after missing out on an extensive list of players including Jahrome Hughes, Harry Grant, Kalyn Ponga, Reece Walsh and Brandon Smith.
“What happens to the Dolphins now?” the SMH’s Adam Pengilly said on the Big Sports Breakfast.
“Of all the players they were targeting in the last 12 months or so, I would have thought Cameron Munster would have been the one that was most likely to go.
“They are in some serious trouble now aren’t they, I want to see them be competitive, but I can’t see them finishing outside the bottom four next year, potentially the year after that.”
The Dolphins were announced by the NRL as the 17th franchise in October last year — giving them less than a month to prepare for November 1 free agency.
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Pengilly believes Bennett’s club should have been given longer to prepare heading into the open market.
“I have been critical of the NRL in this situation… they needed longer to be in the market, speaking to players, speaking to player managers, so once November 1 came bang, bang, bang here is our offers,” Pengilly said.
“It seems like they have been caught on the hop here, and I know the NRL was banking on the Wayne Bennett factor… but it just hasn’t happened has it.
“We have seen the AFL do it with GWS and the Suns, they gave them priority draft picks and they propped them up financially for so many years and still do to this day.
“They have helped those clubs establish themselves, obviously had varying success, but you know what rugby league is like, nothing rules more than self-interest.
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“If the NRL started giving some favours to the Dolphins, you know what is going to happen? Every other club is going to be blowing up.”
Dragons prop Aaron Woods also revealed the general consensus around the competition was that Munster would sign with the Dolphins.
Woods, who has played 252 NRL games believes Bennett is now in an even tricker spot after trying to build his side around the marquee playmaker.
“Cameron Munster stays with the Storm, this is huge news, I think a lot of people pretty much took it as he was gone, even myself thought there was no chance he was going to stay at Melbourne,” Woods said on Triple M.
“The amount of money that was thrown in from the Dolphins and you see what Wayne said, he was that keen.
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“It was pretty much like, we are getting Munster, who can we get around him, but that’s just a massive hole for the Dolphins now.
“They have lost the best player in the game, they’ve struggled to attract so many high-profile players.”
Woods also hailed the Storm for managing to keep their star-studded spine together that includes Grant, Hughes, Munster and gun fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen.
“For Melbourne incredible, they kept their spine together,” Woods said.
“They couldn’t throw the kitchen sink at him because of all the other players… the Dolphins, that is just a huge loss because they needed a marquee player, and he would have been the best.
“Because he is without a doubt the best player in the game at the moment.”
