S29E016 Preview – Magic Munster
A major milestone for the Storm's mercurial one
Cameron Munster becomes the seventh player to play 250 NRL matches with the Storm.
Head here, or these wonderful writers on SubStack for Origin chat:
At the time of publishing, Liam over at Maroon Observer had yet to publish, but I’m sure they’ll be something there worth reading… also he’s using SubStack Notes which is good fun.
As for me, well paying $19 to avoid the Nine commentators is a bargain — even if this was less than ideal:
Thankfully Cameron Munster passed his HIA, although his celebration after the Jojo Fifita try might have indicated that his head wasn’t quite on straight as he looked to celebrate with the crowd in that corner of the MCG, realised that the fence is in another postcode and did a u-turn around the camera position to join his Queensland colleagues in the huddle.
I thought all three Storm players were fantastic — Trent Loiero scoring wasn’t on my bingo card, but how good was it to see him running that line. Harry Grant was his usual #beastmode and terrorised NSW with the ball.
It’s a big milestone week for Melbourne… well hopefully, so long as Cameron Munster backs up after #wrongpriorities this week.
Munster made his NRL debut for the club back in May 2014, starting at fullback in the number 22 jersey against the North Queensland Cowboys in Townsville.
The kid from Rockhampton had been signed by Melbourne during the 2013 season after making the jump from junior footy to the Queensland Cup with the Capras. After being offered to the Bulldogs, Melbourne swooped. He would stay with the Capras in 2013, winning the Queensland Cup Rookie of the Year award, featuring in all 22 matches under coach Jason Hetherington.
Munster’s debut match wasn’t one for the memory for Storm fans. Cameron Smith backed up after Origin,1 but Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk would miss this match — Cronk was injured playing for Queensland early in the match, breaking his arm while trying to tackle Ryan Hoffman — the injury saw him miss five Storm matches. It was an inauspicious start for Munster too — he almost gave up a try in the opening exchanges pushing a pass when trapped in the corner. There was little he could do at the back though for the rest of the first half as the Cowboys crossed three times to lead 16–0. There was only one try in the second half, with Jonathan Thurston touching down after a mazy run that included a grubber kick and wild step to get around the fullback.
That would be Munster’s only NRL action in 2014. He had started the season with the Storm playing in the Auckland Nines competition, then made six appearances for the Thunderbolts in the NRL Under-20s competition, scoring five tries. When he was elevated to the NRL, Munster was already back in Queensland Cup, then playing with the Easts Tigers, where he scored two tries on his Tigers debut in May. Following his NRL debut, he switched between the Under-20s squad and Queensland Cup, eventually playing in the finals with Easts, starting at fullback in their Grand Final loss to the Pride.
In 2015, Munster started the season with Easts Tigers, but injuries to Billy Slater saw him return to Melbourne in the round six match against the Raiders, getting on the end of this play to score his first NRL try.
Later that season, Munster scored his first hat trick in the NRL, touching down three times against the Titans at AAMI Park in a match we’ve recalled here before. He scored seven tries in 19 NRL appearances for the Storm in 2015, earning selection in the Queensland emerging Origin squad before the start of the 2016 season.
With Billy Slater fit to start the 2016 campaign, Munster was shifted into the centres for the Storm’s round 1 matchup against the Dragons. Slater though wasn’t right. His troublesome shoulder went under the knife and Munster was again handed the number one jersey for the rest of 2016.
Making the role his own, Munster was part of the team that took Melbourne all the way to the 2016 NRL Grand Final after bringing the JJ Giltinan Shield back to Victoria for the first time since 2011. A contract extension during the year took him all the way through to the end of the 2019 season.
It was in 2017 that Munster really shined. With Slater returning at fullback, he shifted to five-eighth to form greater combinations with Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith. The skipper seemingly the calming influence on the tempestuous youth of the mercurial Munster. Following his 50th NRL match against the Dragons in April,2 he was picked as 18th man for Queensland for Origin II, then made his debut in the third game — a big Queensland win to secure the series for the Maroons.
Munster won his first NRL premiership with the Storm in 2017 and was rewarded with selection in the Australian squad for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup. He featured in a couple of the matches, scoring doubles in two matches — big wins over France and Lebanon.
He was an established match winner by 2018. In round 12 he slotted the first field goal of his NRL career to secure a 7–6 win over the Cowboys in Townsville.3 But it wasn’t all sunshine and roses — it’s hard not to remember the brain snaps in the 2018 Grand Final when he was part of an unwanted piece of history, being sent to the sin bin twice.
You get the impression that night changed Cameron Munster as a footballer. From then on he realised that actions have consequences.
His 100th match came up in May 2019, a 28–6 win over the Bulldogs at Belmore. He scored what was then a career high eight tries in 2019, including a crucial one earlier in the season against Canterbury at AAMI Park. He would return to the Kangaroos team later that season too after Melbourne fell short in the preliminary final against the Roosters at the SCG.
In 2020, Melbourne lost just twice when Munster was on the field. His combination with Jahrome Hughes guided the Storm to the promise land again in the 2020 Grand Final.
As the Storm swept past nearly everyone in their path in 2021, Munster’s 150th was yet another Melbourne victory — the 40–12 qualifying final win over Manly that set up the eventual preliminary final against the Panthers. His 11 tries in 2022 is his career season high, even reprising his old role at fullback for one night against the Titans.4
His 200th was yet another Storm win against the Gold Coast, scoring a try in a 22–20 victory. In 2024 Munster was appointed as vice-captain of the club and would become the 29th player to lead the Storm during that season. He’s been co-captain on six occasions, and captain twice.5
Munster’s emergence in the Storm team coincided with my return to Victoria. I’ve obviously seen all 249 of his NRL matches. It’s hard to put a number on the magical moments he’s been a part of at AAMI Park in his 108 matches at the venue. At times he has been Him. At other times he’s been the fun-loving larrikan, while he has occasionally dipped into territory where you don’t quite know what’s going on in his head.
Since Cameron Smith’s retirement, this Storm team is definitely his team. There’s mercurial qualities about this team that have worked until 2026. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing, well it’s hard to say.
Munster will be here with the Storm until the end of next season at a minimum, whether he stays beyond that will be a decision for him and his family. I would hope that he would be a one-club player and that we’re celebrating his 300th match in a few years time.
The club put out this shirt this week… if only it was y’know… in club colours.
Munster stat attack
Debut — S17E12 vs Cowboys (2014)
First try — S18E06 vs Canberra (2015)
First hat trick — S18E22 vs Gold Coast (2015)6
50th match — S20E09 vs Dragons (2017)
First goals — S20E13 vs Newcastle (2017)
First sin bin — S20E20 vs Canberra (2017)
First field goal — S21E12 vs Cowboys (2018)
100th match — S22E11 vs Canterbury (2019)
150th match — S24E26 vs Manly (2021)
200th match — S27E09 vs Gold Coast (2024)
Stat attack
This is the third year in a row Melbourne have played on 21 June. The club has played five times on this date, winning four times (2008, 2009, 2024, and 2025), losing just once (2015).
Melbourne have won their last three round 16 matches, but despite this it is one of Melbourne’s least successful, losing 11 times during the previous 28 seasons. The Storm lost eight of 10 round 16 matches between 2008 and 2017.
The Storm have won their last seven straight matches directly after a bye during the regular season.
Canberra is the only visiting team to have a winning record at AAMI Park, winning eight of their 15 matches at the venue, although they have lost their last two matches in Melbourne (2023 and 2024).
Overall, Canberra is Melbourne’s second most common opponent, with the Storm winning 38 of the 56 matches between the teams.
This week in Storm history
Birthdays (including last week):
8 June — Jack Hetherington ⚡️245
9 June — George Jennings ⚡️209
10 June — Dane Nielsen ⚡️104; Ryan Papenhuyzen ⚡️194
11 June — Stephen Kearney ⚡️028
12 June — Chris Lewis ⚡️201
13 June — Michael Greenfield ⚡️141
15 June — Dennis Scott ⚡️075; Smith Samau ⚡️087; James Maloney ⚡️113
16 June — Henry Perenara ⚡️046
18 June — Cameron Smith ⚡️055; Billy Slater ⚡️058; Clint Newton ⚡️100; Nicho Hynes ⚡️198
19 June — Robert Tanielu ⚡️064
21 June — Michael Crocker ⚡️084
Blast from the past:
Storm over Melbourne ticket pricing (Daily Telegraph/Adam Hawse)
14 June 1998
MELBOURNE Storm are under pressure to slash ticket prices after a dramatic drop in crowds over the past month.
The Storm have attracted only 16,000 people to their past two home games, a real concern for an expansion club.
It has been revealed that Storm fans are being slugged three times as much as their NSW counterparts to watch a game.
A family of four wanting to sit in the Olympic Park grandstand is charged $83 — a whopping $56 more than what Newcastle Knights fans pay for the same ticket at Marathon Stadium.
At $27 an adult for a grandstand seat, it is cheaper watching an AFL game for $24 next door at the MCG.
In response to the drop in crowds, there are already plans under way to make seats more affordable.
While admitting prices may be lowered in certain areas, Storm chief executive Chris Johns blames other factors for the drop in crowds.
“People down here are more educated about the game than you think,” Johns said.
“The big games will fill those areas, but for games against the lesser teams like Illawarra and Gold Coast, there are just no pre-sales.
“For our games against Manly and Auckland we’ve already had really good interest.”
The NRL did away with blanket charges several years ago and now leave all admission charges to individual clubs.
The Storm are changing ticket outlets from Ticketmaster to Ticketek in the coming weeks, which Johns says will cut costs and help trim admission charges.
Do you remember:
Munster had a big game this week in 2016 as Melbourne thrashed the Roosters 46–0 at the SFS with the lede coming from The Age match report:
His jersey partially shredded at one stage after a scuffle with Roosters behemoth Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, you wouldn't have been completely surprised had Cameron Munster finished the job and revealed a Superman outfit underneath.
Team line-up
Sualauvi Fa’alogo
Will Warbrick
Jack Howarth
Joe Chan
Moses Leo
Cameron Munster (pending Origin — 250th NRL match)
Jahrome Hughes
Stefano Utoikamanu
Harry Grant © (pending Origin)
Josh King
Cooper Clarke
Ativalu Lisati
Trent Loiero (pending Origin)
Trent Toelau
Alec MacDonald
Jack Hetherington
Josiah Pahulu (potential Storm debut)7
Shawn Blore
Tyran Wishart
Davvy Moale
Preston Conn
Siulagi Tuimalatu-Brown
Lockyer-Azile Foliola (potential NRL debut)8
Referee: Todd Smith (Bunker: Chris Butler)
Preview
Melbourne Storm vs Canberra Raiders
— AAMI Park, 4:00pm Sunday 21 June 2026
After a much needed weekend off and a club mini camp, the Storm are back on deck for a couple of weeks. In their absence last weekend, a couple of teams almost ruled themselves out of premiership contention,9 while others pretended to impress.
With Melbourne improving to 11th position on the ladder without playing, the equation for making an unlikely run to the finals is becoming clearer. It should be that Melbourne can lose just four matches from here until September if they want to make the top eight. It’s a fine margin for failure with away trips to Fortress Shithole, the SFS and The Swamp all to come in 2026. It means that Melbourne will need to win their remaining five home matches, including that stupid trip to Perth in August.
This week team list sees Jack Howarth returning after missing the match against the Knights, joining him the centres might be Joe Chan who has the number four jersey due to an untimely injury to Manaia Waitere. Whether Chan keeps that position will be interesting as Tyran Wishart has been named in the squad for the first time since round 9, returning from the ankle injury he picked up against the Red Fish. He could move into the centres, or he might return to his bench utility role — it’s all a little bit of an unknown.
Fingers crossed that the three Queenslanders are able to back up after Origin II at the MCG, otherwise there could be a big reshuffle on Sunday. Not sure why Shawn Blore is named on the bench, but maybe all the number 11 jerseys have been tailored to Cooper Clarke this week.
For the Raiders with their good record at AAMI Park, let’s hear from Dan over at The Sportress:
But Canberra are still a middle too short, and will still have difficulty defending between the scrum lines. That continues a weakness that feels like it has been exposed for weeks now, despite Joe Tapine’s best efforts. Tom Starling plays better downhill, and the Milk are battling up a gradient like Sisyphus with a hangover. Given Stick’s reluctance to play Owen Pattie, it’s unclear just how they are going to succeed without finding a way to manipulate a bit of space for their backs.
Stick has a plan to improve the inept offence we saw last week. He said so at the press conference after the loss. But if changing how you were doing things starts with changing who’s doing them, Stick isn’t buying it. The Raiders are going over the top again, for the 19th time, like no one would expect it. But they do expect it, and when they’re met with the machine gun fire, the Milk still have no solution.
Melbourne are taking the initiative to host a mental health round match at AAMI Park the week and the MOB are also expected to be in large numbers. There will be a special pin available too with the Tackle Tough Together epithet featuring prominently. Definitely something to get around.
It’s hard to predict how this match will play out. The Raiders only wins since they beat Melbourne in April came at the Gold Coast and at home to the Cowboys. Their last two matches have been pretty horrible, even if the score against the Eels was close. Melbourne need to win this week. A loss probably ends any prospect of finals football, given that most of the simulations would see Melbourne finish no higher than seventh already. I would like to see points from the Storm and some good defence. Getting into another shootout might not be for the best, as despite the obvious ongoing flaws of a Ricky Stuart coached team, they do tend to match up well against the Storm.
What else is going on?
Eli Katoa was on Seven’s The Agenda Setters Rugby League:
After the club-wide bye last weekend, it’s back to normal this week with all three Storm teams in action.
If you’re heading in to the match early on Sunday, head over to Gosch’s Paddock from 10:45am where the U21s will be taking on the Raiders in the Jersey Flegg Cup. Both teams are outside the finals places at the moment and will need to start stringing together some wins if they want to feature at the pointy end of the season.
Inside AAMI Park from 1:15pm will be the NSW Cup match against the Raiders. When these teams met in April at Queanbeyan it was a bit of a flogging for the Storm, so they’ll be hopeful to turn that around just a little.
After the final round of the Super Netball competition last weekend, the ladder is set and the matchup are set. The Vixens will travel to Adelaide for a heavyweight clash against the Thunderbirds. With John Cain Arena again hosting the Grand Final this year, this match is all about who gets the weekend off to prepare. The Mavericks will be playing in the finals for the first time after showing much improvement in 2026.
A 12–8 win to NSW at Lang Park — their first win in Brisbane for 11 years.
A 34–22 Storm win at WIN Stadium.
Watching the highlights of this match this week was remembering a rollercoaster of emotions.
Complete with a dodgy dye job.
His second in was also against the Gold Coast in 2022 (S25E21).
One day we’ll see this happen and a hallelujah chorus will come from AAMI Park.
Did I want to put very unlikely instead of potential… yes, yes I did.
Or at least standing one chance of getting close to the Panthers.