Melbourne Storm star Cameron Munster has opened up on his off-field battles and an addiction to gambling.
Munster, who is one of the best players in the game and a mainstay of both the Melbourne Storm and Queensland Maroons outfits, will miss the opening game of the 2022 season after he was involved in an off-field scandal with Brandon Smith and Chris Lewis following the Storm's elimination at the preliminary final stage of the most recently completed season.
The half was also fined $30,000 for the incident by the NRL, while the Storm's own sanctions saw hit with a suspended $100,000 fine, dropped from the leadership group and banned from alcohol for 12 months.
The scandal saw Munster enter rehabilitation to work on issues with gambling and binge drinking. It's understood Munster paid for the rehabilitation program himself.
Now Munster, out of rehab and back at pre-season training with the Victorian club, has opened up on his struggles to The Daily Telegraph, telling just how close he came to having his time in Melbourne cut short.
โIt was really bad, just hours before the Dally M Awards,โ Munster said.
โI donโt know if he (Storm coach Craig Bellamy) was angry, probably more disappointed in me.
โHe said to me โI want to keep you here but Iโm only one person. The board members and owners and everyone else are really p**** off.โ
โYou know itโs another learning curve about how my compulsive and addictive behaviour led to it.
โThe only reason Iโm still at this club is that Iโve come back with a plan to deal with it.
โThat was me going to rehab, me paying for it. The club and the board had obviously had enough.
โThereโs no question they considered getting rid of me.โ
Munster told the publication that he would regularly lose around $5000 per day on the punt, and lost $50,000 one day during lockdown this year, while he also hid in the toilets of the dressing sheds to watch a race before a game this year.
โThe anxiety it brings,โ he said.
โAt one stage I had no fingernails left. Iโd be chewing them off while watching a race."
Munster also opened up on binge drinking, which he received support for during rehabilitation.
โWhen you drink you should be celebrating something,โ he said.
โI was doing it and writing myself off. Maybe to release a bit of anxiety.
โI was getting to a stage where โฆ when I got out to have a drink I couldnโt stop."
