Inaugural Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett has revealed he lost confidence in capturing Cameron Munster the longer negotiations went on, but has slammed the five-eighth for not picking up the phone to tell of his decision.
Munster last night re-signed with the Melbourne Storm on a four-year extension, likely ensuring he will finish his NRL career as a one-club, and 300-game player providing he stays fit.
Bennett, who has previously revealed he was confident of signing Munster, whether that be in 2024 or for the inaugural season in 2023 after a release, told Triple M Radio that the longer negotiations dragged on the more he believed Munster would re-sign with the Storm.
Despite the rush for a marquee star, Bennett said the club still has plenty of money left in the salary cap.
โWhat it has done is left us with a lot of money in the salary cap to go out and buy quality players, and we will not spend that money until we get that player,โ Bennett said.
โThe opportunity has gone there, we will go somewhere else and seek that player that we know we need and most important not waste the money.
โI'll play with one less next year to make sure we get the right player for 2024, I am not going to go out and spend that money now on someone we don't think can deliver what we need.โ
RELATED: The five marquee players Bennett should sign now
Bennett labelled the fact that players go missing from conversations as "pretty ordinary."
โIt is pretty ordinary stuff mate, it is pretty ordinary stuff, that's the part, I understand managers and all that, and there is a need for them,โ Bennett said on Triple M's Rush Hour with Leisel Jones, Liam and Dobbo.
โBut what I can't get and what I don't relate to is the fact that the players, in all the tough conversations that have got to be had, are missing.
โThey don't ring you up and tell you they are not coming, they don't have to make that phone call, that is a tough phone call, it's a phone call none of us want to make but you want to be a man, you have got to behave like one.
โDon't have your manager ring up and tell them you aren't coming.โ
