Cameron Munster has revealed he has considered the possibility of retirement as a result of the Melbourne Storm’s six-game losing streak.
The Storm sit 16th on the ladder and are staring down the barrel of missing finals for just the second time under Craig Bellamy, outside of the 2010 salary cap penalty year.
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Munster’s form has come under scrutiny during the lean run and the star five-eighth said losing consecutive games has prompted him to consider his future.
“The worst I’ve had in my 13-year career is probably back-to-back losses, I don’t think I’ve ever had six in my life. It’s something I’m not really used to,” he said on the 167 podcast with Jahrome Hughes and Ryan Papenhuyzen.
“You always question a lot of things in your mind, whether you still can play the game of rugby league.
“You don’t forget how to play, but at the same time you start to question your confidence and I’m sure there’s a lot of guys in our team who have questioned themselves at times.
“There have been some times in my head thinking, ‘Should I be hanging them up?’, to be completely honest’.”
Watch Cameron Munster’s comments in the video above
But Munster, who is contracted at Melbourne until the end of 2027, criticised his own form as the Storm fight to climb up the ladder.
“It’s just unfortunately haven’t been getting the rewards or the results I’ve been chasing. I think with everything, the more you try it doesn’t work for you,” he said.
“At the moment my defence hasn’t been great.
“And I’m making decisions I wouldn’t usually make.
“But when you’re under pressure and trying to solves things on your own and that’s not what you need for the team, you need to stay in the system.
“We’re probably just in survival mode.”
Munster’s club form has ramped up pressure on the 31-year-old to be selected in Queensland’s State of Origin team, but it would be extremely surprising if he wasn’t picked as captain by coach Billy Slater.
“Cameron’s been out of form, there’s no two ways about that,” Munster’s manager and NRL 360 host Braith Anasta told news.com.au.
“I’ve obviously been talking to him quite a bit and it’s such unfamiliar territory for him because he’s never really experienced anything like this in terms of his own form and then the Melbourne Storm’s form.
“So the only way to get out of it is to play himself out of that. But there’s no denying that that’s a form slump for him and he’s working his arse off, I know that.
“I think Queensland still will and should pick him, being the captain and being so successful at that level and Queensland have always shown great loyalty.
“I’m actually looking forward to that time of the year because it could bring the best out of him and get him back to the form that we all know and love from Cameron.
“There’s still going to be pressure on him to make that team new because of his form at clubland.
“There’s just no denying it. He’s nowhere near where he needs to be or wants to be. It’s not a nice place, but he’s such a champion that I’m confident that he’ll get out of it soon.”
The Melbourne Storm take on the Dolphins on Friday night at Suncorp Stadium and will be desperate for a win, especially in light of coach Craig Bellamy’s health diagnosis.
