Munster out of knee brace, set to run next week
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Cameron Munster is out of a knee brace and expected to start running early next week in his quest to play in next Friday night's preliminary final.
Munster left the field in the 70th minute of the 36-24 qualifying final win over the Eels after a contact injury to the knee where he had previously suffered two MCL sprains this season.
On this occasion, it was not another MCL injury but Storm football operations manager Ryan Hoffman said the club was taking a cautious approach.
"He’s looking good. He's out of the brace and did some movement this morning," Hoffman said after the Storm’s media session on Thursday.
"It's certainly looking positive. Hopefully next week he can start some running early on and start working towards that final.
Munster frustrated as he is forced from the field with knee injury
"At this stage, everything is looking promising. Anything can happen. He’s looking good, ticking his boxes, if he keeps doing that hopefully, he should be right.
"He’s had some MCL troubles this year. Every time he does one it sets him back a little bit, so he has to make sure he stays on top of his rehab, which he is."
Hoffman said the Storm expected Munster to play against the winner of Friday night’s semi-final clash between the Roosters and Raiders.
Having the extra week off has played into the Storm’s hands.
"He doesn’t need the training but we need to train around him," he said.
"That’s the benefit of having the week off, that we can be a bit more cautious with him. We’re certainly using the opportunity with the week off to have him as close to 100 per cent as possible.
"He’s gone up another level in his professionalism and his leadership. And to be quite honest, we needed that from him."
Meanwhile, the Storm have made three key re-signings with Maroons prop Christian Welch wrapped up until the end of 2022.
Former Titans prop Max King has re-signed until the end of 2021 while Australian Schoolboys back-row sensation Jack Howarth will be at Melbourne until the end of 2022.
Howarth is completing his final year of school at Brisbane Boys College and will join the top squad in 2021.
