He might be the favourite to replace Blake Green, but Storm superstar-in-the-making Cameron Munster says his switch to five-eighth is far from being finalised.
Green's move to the Sea Eagles has opened the door for Munster to play in the halves, but the 22-year-old believes there is plenty of competition standing in his way.
Munster has played all but one of his 44 first-grade games at fullback, but is no stranger to the halves having played there in the lower grades.
"I've been training at five-eighth, a couple of other boys have been training there as well," he told Storm TV.
"We've got a couple of good young talents coming through. We've got Brodie Croft, Scott Drinkwater. Jahrome Hughes is still injured at the moment but when he comes back he's a good talent as well. Curtis Scott is really training well this pre-season so we've got a couple of options.
"That [number] six hasn't really been cemented yet. It'll depend on the trials and how well we go during pre-season."
If Munster does move to the halves next season, Storm fans needn't worry about who will replace him at the back with star fullback Billy Slater on track to make his return after back-to-back season-ending shoulder injuries.
Slater has played a key role at Storm pre-season training with experienced heads Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk and Jesse Bromwich on an extended break following Four Nations commitments, and his impact on the rest of the team has been telling.
"He's had a couple of injuries the last couple of years, and I really feel for him. He's a really good bloke and an even better player," Munster said.
"He's been training really well, and with him out there with his talk and his communication, just being around him makes you want to be a better player.
"That is when everyone gets the best out of themselves, having guys like him, 'Coops' and 'Smithy' around."
While Melbourne's 'big three' have traditionally led the way on and off the field through their unwavering professionalism, Munster said he was looking forward to becoming more of a leader in 2017.
"Obviously losing Marika Koroibete and Blake Green and Kevin Proctor, they're massive shoes to fill," he said.
"I guess us younger boys have got to step up a little bit now, and I guess that middle-age group like me and some of the other boys have got to step up this year and play a bit more consistently to show the younger boys and try to be a mentor for them."
