The Melbourne Storm have addressed salary cap “rumours” following the contract extension of star playmaker Cameron Munster.
After weeks of speculation as to which club would land Munster, the five-eighth turned down a $5.6 million four-year deal from the Dolphins to remain in Melbourne on a signficantly lower salary at $4 million for four years.
Had he accepted the Dolphins’ offer, Munster would have become the highest-paid player in the game.
While the Storm has expressed their excitement towards retaining the Origin star, they are now facing allegations of salary cap manipulation akin to those they endured when stripped of their premiership titles more than a decade ago.
In light of the rumours, Storm chairman Matt Tripp has been forced to defend the club saying all matters pertaining to Munster’s extension were completely “above board”.
“First of all, everything we've done in terms of getting Cameron on board is cap-related and 100 per cent above board,” Tripp told News Corp.
“The last thing I want to do is cause any drama by having our club, given what we've been through, dragged through the mud again. We just don't operate that way.
“There are always going to be rumours and innuendo and rubbish thrown at us, particularly from those that miss out on players like Cameron.
“I know where these rumours would be coming from, but that's all they are.”
Now without their marquee signing, Wayne Bennett’s Dolphins are ready to “move on” from the situation and continue their search for a “quality” five-eighth.
“We found out (about Munster's decision) just before it was announced by Melbourne,” Dolphins’ boss Terry Reader told NewsCorp.
“We still have plenty of firepower in our salary cap to make sure we bring in more quality players.
“The best thing about this process now is that it's all over. We're happy that Cam has made a decision. Good luck to him and we're not concerned, we'll move on.”
Munster will now head to the 2021 Rugby League World Cup with the Kangaroos as they begin their campaign for their third title in a row.