Fixing up his “inconsistent” goal kicking is Storm coach Craig Bellamy’s only concern with superstar Cameron Munster who he backed to make a seamless transition from five-eighth to fullback for Friday’s clash against Manly.
Regular No.1 Nick Meaney, who was left out of the squad due to delayed concussion symptoms, leads the team for points and tries scored this season and has filled in admirably for Ryan Papenhuyzen who continues to recover from a serious knee injury.
But the utility outside back won’t travel to 4 Pines Park with the club opting to take a safety first approach to his recovery after he reported concussion symptoms days after he came for an HIA and passed it in the win over the Roosters.
“He actually trained on Monday,” Bellamy revealed.
“He wasn’t too bad but he wasn’t feeling himself on Tuesday so the doc and the whole club decided we didn’t want to take any chances. Even though he was eligible (to play) he wasn’t feeling the best so we thought it was the best thing to do.”
Munster is no stranger to fullback having played there in 2016 when he helped the club reach the grand final, while he also filled in at the backend of 2022 as the Storm looked for a spark with Papenhuyzen out of the side.
It sets up a mouthwatering showdown with Sea Eagles fullback Tom Trbojevic who has overcome back spasms and is expected to play on Friday.
“He’s played plenty of that and he played a lot there last year when ‘Paps’ got injured. He came here as a fullback so it shouldn’t worry him too much,” Bellamy said.
“He’s good like that. He’s willing to do what’s best for the team, and we think that’s what’s best for the team this week. He’s a very talented player so he has no trouble switching to different positions and different roles.”
The rep star is also expected to replace Meaney as the team’s first-choice goal-kicker on Friday, although Jonah Pezet is on standby in case Munster can’t improve on his record which sits below 60 per cent.
“Munster is very keen,” Bellamy said.
“Sometimes his goal-kicking is a bit like his off-field behaviour – it’s inconsistent. He’s out there practising so I think he’ll probably take them first up.”
Munster’s switch has opened the door for Pezet to return to the halves where he did a solid job while Munster was injured and then when Jahrome Hughes was suspended.
He won two of the three games he played, scoring a try and setting up another three in an encouraging start to his NRL career.
But things won’t be easy against veteran playmaker Daly Cherry-Evans and a full house on the northern beaches as the Storm shoot for four wins on the trot after a worrying start to the season.
“He did a good job for the three games that he played,” his coach said.
“It was probably a little hard on him to leave him out when ‘Hughesy’ came back, but he’s had that week off so hopefully that’ll freshen him up and hopefully he can keep doing the job that he was doing before.
“He knows what NRL is about now. It’s different training with the group to actually playing. There’s nothing like that for experience. He’s still got a lot to learn and a lot to go through in games, but having that experience has been good.”
