Melbourne Storm boss Craig Bellamy addresses bombshell Cameron Munster trade rumour

Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy has addressed fears that the club’s much-loved superstar Cameron Munster wants to move.

Bellamy says the Storm are obviously desperate for the 30-year-old to stay in Melbourne, but they are aware he is on the Perth Bears’ wish-list.

The Bears will enter the competition in 2027 and Munster’s contract expires at the end of that season.

But Bellamy said it was unlikely the Storm would stand in his way if Munster requested a move west.

“He hasn’t said anything to me,” Bellamy said on Thursday.

“I imagine if he feels that it might be an option, he would come and talk (to the club).

“At the end of the day if it was something he really wanted to do, especially with what he has done for our club, I don’t think we would stand in his way.

“We certainly wouldn’t like to lose him and if there was something we could do to make sure we keep him here, we would do that.

“He obviously has a family and kids now. While his immediate family don’t live in Melbourne, he has made a lot of connections with people in Melbourne.

“It would be a big decision for him to do it. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Cameron has to do what is best for him.

“(But) we would love to keep him at our club. We will do everything we can.”

Munster captained Queensland to a famous State of Origin victory this year, doing so in the face of extreme adversity.

His father had died but Munster heroically led the Maroons in the decider just days after the sudden family tragedy.

“You forget what quality people you are working with sometimes,” Bellamy said.

“That was tough for his family. It was such a shock. He is a great player, Munster, but he is a real quality bloke too and he has shown that with how he has handled this.

“Billy (Slater) making him captain for Origin might improve him as a player. Never really saw him a whole heap as a captain.

“He was a bit individual at times. The one thing is he always has genuine care for what the team does and what his teammates do.”

Munster’s manager Braith Anasta said “it’s going to be hard for Melbourne to compete with any offer” from the Bears.

“I’m sure they will try, but at this stage it’s too hard to tell,” Anasta said.

“Melbourne aren’t willing to let him go, but a lot will depend on the next few months and what happens with (rookie Storm playmaker Jonah Pezet) and their plans around him.

“There’s a few moving parts that could put Cameron in that position to look at Perth.”

Despite all the rumours, Anasta said he was yet to hear from Perth.

However, that is likely to change when Munster’s free agency window officially opens in November next year.

“Cameron didn’t go to the Dolphins and he took hundreds of thousands of dollars less, so he has done this before and stayed loyal,” Anasta said.

“That’s worth noting, because you can only take less for so long.

“Cameron would be worth a lot more on the open market, so it’s a decision we will look at down the track.

“It would be a big move to Perth, but if you look at all the other halves in the comp, you look at DCE (Daly Cherry-Evans, aged 36) and Reyno (Adam Reynolds, 35), those guys at their age, they are thriving and still demanding high dollars.

“I can’t see Cameron going backwards over the next few years.

“I can understand if or why Perth are interested in Cameron to be the face of the new franchise.”