Cameron Munster will not feature in Melbourne Storm’s Round 21 match against the Roosters, with the five-eighth set to miss Thursday night’s clash as he attends his father’s funeral in Queensland.
Munster is still grieving the loss of his father, Steven, who passed away shortly before State of Origin Game 3.
The Queensland skipper briefly left Origin camp to be with his family, before returning to lead his state to a stirring victory in the decider. He then backed up with a full performance against Manly last weekend, but coach Craig Bellamy has confirmed he will be absent this week.
"I don't think he'll be playing"
With the Storm on a short five-day turnaround, Bellamy revealed on Tuesday that Munster’s availability was never seriously discussed.
“I don’t think he’ll be playing... hasn’t been spoken about that much, but I don’t think he will be playing on Thursday,” Bellamy said.
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Munster is expected to travel to Rockhampton for Friday’s funeral, and playing in Sydney would have required a tight travel window, including an early flight to Brisbane followed by a connection to Central Queensland.
In his absence, Tyran Wishart has been named to wear the No.6 jumper, while Nelson Asofa-Solomona is also likely to miss out due to suspension.
It’s another emotional chapter in a turbulent month for Munster, who continues to juggle personal grief with leadership responsibilities both at club and state level.