Munster Linked Two Superstars as Storm Face Roosters Threat
Cameron Munster is being tied to the Sydney Roosters as part of a Sam Walker and Matt Burton shake-up. Melbourne Storm could lose Munster, Harry Grant and Craig Bellamy at once, while Munster keeps his focus on the Kangaroos' World Cup push.
Cameron Munster has been linked to the Sydney Roosters, with the Melbourne Storm star's name now sitting alongside Sam Walker and Matt Burton in NRL free agency talk. Munster is declining to feed the rumors while he chases the Rugby League World Cup with the Kangaroos.
He was quizzed on his future at Kangaroos training and was reluctant to add fuel to the fire. Munster has been asked several times during the tournament and has tried to keep a lid on it ahead of the trophy push on Sunday.
Roosters whispers grow
Until now, the clubs put to Munster most often have been the PNG Chiefs and the Perth Bears. The Chiefs are still hunting a marquee half to partner Jarome Luai, and the Bears want a big name to lift their roster build.
The Roosters are now entering the picture. Senior rugby league reporter James Hooper named Munster this week as a domino lined up alongside Walker and Bulldogs star Burton, as the Roosters plan life after Walker.
Bulldogs and the salary cap
Burton became a free agent on November 1. The Bulldogs gave him permission to test the market earlier, and general manager Phil Gould said the club was not trying to push him out but wanted the market to set his value before extension talks.
Late in the 2026 season, the Bulldogs moved Burton to left centre in a swap with captain Stephen Crichton, who played the year at No.6. Gould has also made clear he does not see Lachlan Galvin as a long-term halfback.
Hooper suggested Canterbury could come into the calculations for Walker, whose sudden availability has reshaped the halves market. The sticking point is the salary cap, and Burton leaving would go a long way to solving it.
Storm's nightmare scenario
Munster is 32 and will be 33 when his current Storm deal expires. Had Melbourne offered a two-year deal worth more than $1 million a season, he probably would not have tested the market at all.
Harry Grant is also in free agency. Melbourne could lose Munster, Grant and coach Craig Bellamy at the same time, an end of an era that would likely mean several seasons of missed finals.
That outcome looks unlikely at such a strong club. Still, the Roosters have the most money to spend, and Storm CEO Justin Rodski would be nervous.
Club supremo Nick Politis usually gets what the Roosters want. The club has a track record of landing superstars late in their careers and winning premierships, as it did with Daly Cherry-Evans and Cooper Cronk.
