Just two years ago Melbourne Storm star Cameron Munster was on the verge of signing an eye-watering $6 million NRL record contract with the Dolphins. But after the crafty five-eighth watched the Panthers dominate the Eels in the 2022 grand final to go back-to-back he changed his mind. The 30-year-old decided it was more important for him to stay at the Storm and try and build a new dynasty in Melbourne after the exits of Cameron Smith, Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk. And now Munster is ready to make his $1.4 million sacrifice all worth it by winning another premiership at Melbourne. He will enter this Sunday's grand final against the Panthers as one of the Storm's most crucial players, after a season of fighting through groin pain to star in the No.6 jersey. But things could have looked very different for the 30-year-old if not for an 11th-hour change of heart in 2022. That season Munster was in regular communications with Bennett who wanted him to become the face of the game's newest franchise and tabled an NRL record four-year contract worth $1.5 million-a-season for Munster to head north. The five-eighth told Bennett he was keen to join him at the Dolphins, only for the 2022 grand final to change his mind. In the final, the Panthers were at their rampaging best, surging to a comfortable 28-12 victory to successfully defend the 2021 premiership. And after watching Penrith start its own historic NRL run, Munster decided to backflip on joining the Dolphins to instead try and create something great again in Melbourne. The Queensland star called Craig Bellamy the very next day to inform him he no longer intended to leave for the Dolphins, and was re-signed with the Storm within a week on a four-year deal worth close to $4.6 million. "I just saw the way Penrith go about their business," Munster told AAP. "They are one of the best teams this competition has had for a long time. To be able to get in that position again, or get that opportunity again, I thought it was the right decision to stay. Money isn't everything." Munster said a large reason he had a change of heart centred on a desire to have another crack at the Panthers and the premiership after Melbourne were beaten by Penrith in the 2021 preliminary final. "Looking back on it, 2021 we had a good season and we fell down at the last hurdle," Munster said.
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