Cameron Munster and wife announce unexpected baby news on eve of NRL finals campaign
The Melbourne Storm player wasn't expecting to become a dad for the third time until after the finals.
Cameron Munster and wife Bianca have announced the birth of their third child - seven weeks before the baby was due. The Munsters were expecting to welcome their new bundle of joy well after the NRL finals series, which begins on Friday night and will run for a month.
But Cameron and Bianca took to social media on Monday to reveal new daughter Blake couldn't wait any longer. Posting a photo of the happy family, Bianca wrote: "In absolute awe of the new addition to our family, making a grand entrance 7 weeks early, our baby girl. Blake Maria Munster."
The post was flooded with congratulatory messages from around the NRL world, with Ryan Papenhuyzen, Latrell Mitchell, Tyran Wishart and Reuben Cotter all responding. Munster's manager and former NRL player Braith Anasta wrote: "Yessssssss this is amazing."
Cameron and Bianca now have three kids together, after welcoming son Jagger in August last year. They had their first child in 2021 - another son called Jaxon.
Munster will be thanking his lucky stars at the timing of Blake's arrival, and that it didn't mean he had to make any tricky decisions around finals games. Mitchell Moses famously chose to miss the arrival of his daughter in 2022 so he could play in Parramatta's preliminary final clash with the Cowboys. The Eels won the game before losing to Penrith in the grand final the next week.
In contrast, Dragons hooker Jacob Liddle missed his side's do-or-die clash with the Eels last weekend so he could support his partner in labour. The Dragons lost the match to end their chances of making the finals.
Cameron Munster keen to atone for pain of 2021 title miss
Meanwhile, Munster has revealed a missed opportunity to win the 2021 premiership is driving his quest for glory this year. The Storm host Cronulla in the first qualifying final on Saturday afternoon, with a win set to send them through to the prelim.
The same situation occurred in 2021 when the Storm finished minor premiers in a season when they won 19 games in a row, which equalled the all-time premiership record achieved by the champion 1975 Eastern Suburbs side. The defending premiers were heading towards back-to-back titles but played poorly in a 10-6 loss to Penrith in the preliminary final.
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Instead of the Storm going on a title run it was the Panthers who won three premierships in a row. "In 2022 and 2023 Penrith were the best side all year but in 2021 it was anyone's competition. I think that was the most hurtful thing," Munster said this week.
"Anyone could have won it and I think that's what burns me, burns Bellyache (coach Craig Bellamy) and burns half the squad. That was probably a year gone begging for us. Of course we'd like to make amends. You can't dwell on the past but hopefully we can learn from it."
The 29-year-old won premierships in 2017 and 2020, but a title in 2024 would be his first as a senior leader of the team. "It would be massive," he said. "I've been lucky enough to be in three grand finals in a row - 2016, 2017 and 2018 - and I thought it comes every year.
"It doesn't happen. I've realised that in the last four years. It takes a lot of hard work and a depth squad to be able to give yourself a chance in grand finals. I feel like we've got the squad to do it this year. It's just a matter if we want it more."
with AAP
