Melbourne Storm football boss Frank Ponissi has revealed that five-eighth Cameron Munster has been playing with a knee infection since the end of the State of Origin series.
Munster has had another solid season for the Storm but has been below his best with halfback Jahrome Hughes being the dominant playmaker in 2023.
The Storm have rested a number of stars for their final round clash against the Brisbane Broncos and Ponissi told SEN that Munster played out the back end of the season with a niggling injury.
“They are athletes but also human beings so you have to match both those aspects,” Ponsissi said on SEN 1170.
“We didn’t bring Cameron Munster up (to Brisbane) because he has been carrying an infected knee since Origin.
“We’ve given him the option to stay back, do his own training and not play this week.
“He will be in a better state to play next week for the first week of the finals than if we had brought him up and played him.”
The Storm have rested 11 players for their top four clash against the Broncos including captain Christian Welch, Jahrome Hughes, Nick Meaney and Nelson Asofa-Solomona.
Ponissi understood the frustration from fans that Melbourne’s best players would not take the field but insisted it’s all about the big picture and preparing the team as best they can for a premiership tilt.
“This time last year, we were playing for the top four and we failed.
“We limped into the finals because of it and they were playing with niggling injuries and fatigue.
“We weren’t at our best in that first final so this year we have earnt the right to decide whether or not to rest players.
“We know that we can be at our absolute best at week one of the finals.
“Quite a few players needed a rest.”