Wayne Bennett has revealed that the Dolphins’ pursuit of Cameron Munster is set to enter a second year, with the club willing to wait out his contract in order to get their man.
Munster is off at the end of next season and Bennett, who coached him at Origin level, said that a player of his quality was worth waiting for.
Speaking on The Bye Round podcast with James Graham, Bennett confirmed that the new franchise was in for the long haul on Munster.
“I think he’s a wonderful player,” he said. “His contract is up in 2024 and that’s what we’re looking at. We’re prepared to go a year without him if that’s the case in 2023 and get him in 2024. We’re not here for the short term, we’re here for the long term.
“If we need to do that for a couple of players we’re happy to do that so we can build the right roster and not spend the money on someone that can’t get the job done for us, and then when someone like Cameron comes off contract, you can’t get into the ballpark to offer him what he’s worth.
“I always coach for the present but I’ve also got the long term in mind because that’s the balance. Too often, I see coaches fail not because they can’t coach but because they don’t have that vision, they’re living for the moment.”
Bennett revealed that the salary cap situation at Redcliffe was sufficiently good that they could invest in top level backline talent to complement the forwards that they have already acquired, most notably Storm trio of Kenny and Jesse Bromwich and Felise Kaufusi.
“The forward pack is really good and I’m pleased with the three Melbourne players that we’ve got there because they’ve got great culture coming in from a tremendous club,” he said. “That’s what we want here and it’s what they’ll help me build with other players.
“There’s a couple of backs that are high profile that are our next challenge. The good part is that we haven’t spent the money. We’ve got the money there for two players and we’re not going to spend that money on someone that can’t get the job done.
“We’ll play with what we’ve got and as the seasons go by, we’ll get what we need and build the club that way.”
Graham challenged Bennett on what a pass mark would be for season one with the Dolphins.
“It’s funny you ask that, a few people have,” said the coach. “I don’t know what team I’ve got yet, so it’s hard to give a pass mark.
“I know in my own head that if I can get them to be a team and do their best each week, that’ll be my first pass mark. If we’re playing like a team and we look like we care about each other, we’ll be competitive.
“As you know James, with me, my excitement is tempered. It’s not bubbling. I often say that it’s on the inside, I don’t show it on the outside.
“I didn’t have to do this job but I wanted to do it. It’s a huge challenge and I knew that was going to be the case, but I was up for that.
“You have good days and bad days. You’re disappointed when you’re after a player and you can’t get him and have a good day next day when you get one you want. That’s the rollercoaster of what we’ve done and I’ve done it for so long now that I’m pretty balanced with it.”
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