‘Thanks for asking’: Munster’s classic Lomax deflection

3 weeks ago 3

Melbourne Storm star Cameron Munster says the club is not banking their 2026 success on whether they secure Zac Lomax for next month’s NRL season opener.

Lomax’s former club, Parramatta, has commenced legal action in the NSW Supreme Court to stop the star centre signing with the Storm after he was released last year to join the now delayed Rugby 360 competition.

To add to the sensitivity around the matter, the Storm and Eels face off at AAMI Park in round one.

Munster, who never offers a “no comment” to the media, turned the question about the Storm securing Lomax into an ambush marketing opportunity for a pub he recently opened in Brisbane.

“I got tipped up about this question, but I’m pretty disappointed you didn’t ask me about my new pub in Brisbane,” Munster said with a smile.

“The pub is going well, thanks for asking.

“I’ll leave that [the Lomax question] to the coaching staff and owners, that’s above my pay grade.

“He would be a great asset to the club, if we get him. There has been a whole bit of publicity around it. We are very confident, very comfortable with the squad we’ve got at the moment and he would be a nice element to add to it.

“But we are not putting all our eggs in one basket, worrying about whether we get him or not.

“It’s not great media for us going forward as we’ve got them [Parramatta] in round one.”

Munster didn’t mention the name of his pub, but he was otherwise in fine form as he joined his teammates for the team photo on Wednesday morning.

There wasn’t any space left for Lomax to be photoshopped later but the club won’t care if they have him bolstering their attacking stocks.

Munster praised the Storm’s young talent and said he felt every bit of his age, 31, as he completed preseason training.

But he also explained comments made recently that he might only have a couple of years left in the game.

‘There’s a lot of guys in the game that have concussion injuries and retired from injuries, I don’t want to be one of them.’

Cameron Munster

“It was more a question about my plans were [at the end of my career],” Munster said.

“I’m not old in terms of age but footy age, it creeps up on you.

“I’m still here and under contract until I’m 33, you just never know until the doors are [closing] around you.

“All I meant was that when you are in the great time of your life or peak of your career you want to dictate your terms and retire on your own terms.

Melbourne Storm star Cam Munster (bottom middle) during the team photo on Wednesday.

“I know there’s a lot of guys in the game that have concussion injuries and retired from injuries. I don’t want to be one of them. I don’t want to be one of those guys who get to the stage that they squeeze the lemon so hard that they had to retire because of medical reasons.

“It was more an answer on that, not that I’m ready to retire now.”

Storm second-rower Eli Katoa took his place in the front row of the picture despite being out this season as he recovers from seizure activity following a serious head knock while playing internationally for Tonga in November.

The Queensland and Australian playmaker called Katoa “inspirational” and revealed the second-rower was mentoring some of the club’s young forwards.

“He’s such a vibe, Eli,” Munster said.

“Realistically, he shouldn’t be around the club, but that’s just how determined and positive he is within himself.

“He’s got a plan in place. He’s gone ahead in leaps and bounds compared to what probably the doctors and medical professionals thought. But he’s got so many more hurdles to he needs to get past to be able to play, so just to see him around the group, he’s such an integral part of our group.

“It just shows how much he loves rugby league and loves this group, he’s even taken some of the younger boys under his wing. That’s a leader, that’s why he’s blossomed into one of the back-rowers and players you want to play with.

“It’s scary to think what happened to him, it was probably no more than three or four months ago. Just to see what he’s doing and what he’s added to the group, it’s just so inspiring and we’re very lucky to have him in our group.”

The Storm have two preseason games booked with a clash against Canberra Raiders at Queanbeyan on February 13 and against Gold Coast Titans on the Sunshine Coast on February 21.