Melbourne Storm football boss Frank Ponissi couldn’t be more impressed with star playmaker Cameron Munster’s pre-season.
Munster, 27, endured a rocky end to the 2021 campaign, being embroiled in a white powder scandal in September alongside teammates Brandon Smith and Chris Lewis.
After being fined and banned for a game for his involvement, Munster also went to rehab to tackle his issues with excessive drinking.
That stint, along with having his first child, has reinvigorated the five-eighth with Ponissi stating that he believes the superstar is in the best knick of his professional life.
He spoke about how the trio responded to their mishap on Sportsday.
“Yes and no, in terms of their personalities, they have great ones, so you don’t want them changing too much,” Ponissi said.
“In terms of other things around what else they had to change, absolutely they have.
“If you had to give a best player for the pre-season award for their application and what they got out of it, he’s in the top three Cameron Munster, he’s had a phenomenal pre-season.
“His pre-season has been great in terms of his training ethic, what he’s put in, he’s looking in the best shape that i’ve seen him in his eight years at the club.
“All going well, he’s in for a big season.”
Most importantly, Ponissi believes the white powder trio have learned from their mistakes, ultimately helping them in the long run.
“It was tough coming back for them obviously,” Ponissi said.
“But they’ve handled it really well, they’ve handled it professionally and put it behind them.
“More importantly they’ve learned from their error in judgement.”
SEN’s Michelle Bishop says the club has been so impressed with Munster that they’re now prepared to offer him a five-year deal worth $4 million to tie him to the club until the end of the 2028 season.