At the end of an emotional week for his club, Storm coach Craig Bellamy said there would be no pressure on Cameron Munster to return to the side for their home game against Manly next Saturday.
Just days after the death of his father, Munster led Queensland to victory in the Origin decider on Wednesday before being granted personal leave to be with his family and did not make the trip to Newcastle.
Wearing black armbands against the Knights as a mark of respect for their mate, Melbourne overcame a sluggish start to win 32-14 and retain second spot on the ladder.
“Obviously, with the Munster family, they’re a really important part of our club,” Bellamy said post-match.
“Ever since Cameron joined the club, the parents, Steve and Debbie, they’d always have four or five trips down each year, at least. The finals games, they were always there.
“They were just a wonderful support for Cameron, and they certainly became a real part of the club. We loved seeing them at games and after games – more so after games for Steve. He used to love having a beer after the game.
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“So just to hopefully put a little smile on their face today would have been nice, and hopefully we’ve done the same for Katie’s family as well.”
Storm skipper Harry Grant, who played alongside Munster for the Maroons, said the players wanted to do their best for their on-field team-mate and back-room colleague.
“The first one is to pay our respects to Cam and to let him and his family know that everyone as a club is thinking about him,” Grant said.
“But also Katie Holley, another member of our football department, she lost her father, and we’re a family down there in Melbourne and we want to have each other’s backs, especially through hard times.
“As a team, as a player, the best way you can do that is through your effort, and I know it wasn’t perfect, and the first half wasn’t perfect, but there was a lot of effort to stay in the game, stay gritty, and give them something to smile about with the performance and the result at the end of the day.”
Like their opponents, Newcastle players wore black armbands in a show of support for five-eighth Jackson Hastings, whose mother, Megan Harrod, died on July 1.
Knights coach Adam O’Brien was prepared to give Hastings time away from the team to mourn but the former Super League Man of Steel fronted for training last Monday and was determined to take the field against Melbourne.
“It was a big shock to all of us, when we got the news,” O’Brien said.
“We just thought we’d reach out to him then give him some space, so it was a bigger shock to see him back in the doors a couple of days later, but he wanted to be around his team-mates.
“He’s done a really good job and so have the guys, actually getting around him and trying to make it somewhat as comfortable as you can for him, and try to take his mind off things when it permits.
“He was clear on his intentions that he wanted to play, and he handled the week the best he could.”
