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Cameron Munster has admitted he went into shock at seeing a bone popping out of his left ring finger in the NRL season-opener, but maintains he wants to face Canterbury next week.

Munster flew back to Melbourne on Friday to see a hand specialist late in the afternoon, before a call is made on what level of surgery the star five-eighth may require.

It came after he fought through the pain of a compound dislocation of his finger in the Storm's 16-12 win over Parramatta on Thursday night, returning for the second half following two pain-killing injections.

His herculean effort included a nifty dummy followed by a step and pass to set up the crucial match-levelling try late in the game, with two of his fingers bandaged in the shape of sausages.

Hurt when he made a tackle on Clint Gutherson in the 27th minute, Munster immediately left the field but returned less than half-an-hour later after treatment.

"I was a bit surprised when I saw it come out. I have never seen a bone come out before," Munster said.

"I felt my finger numb when I got out of that tackle against Gutho and I thought, 'That doesn't feel right'.

"I looked down and there was a bit of bone sticking out. Shock hit and I didn't really have much emotion.

"I got off and the doc said, 'I have to put a needle in to numb it up'. I'd much rather let it sit there. I hate needles."

Despite the injury, Munster said he did not have any significant trouble gripping the ball during the tight second half and golden-point finish.

"I bumped it a couple of times. A couple of times I got in a tackle and it was a bit wincy," he said.

"But the numbing needles helped with the pain.

"I just tried passing a little bit more. I probably didn't run the ball as much as I would like to.

"It's something I need to focus on next week."

The Storm are hopeful any surgery will be limited to a clean out of the finger early in the week.

Melbourne have their first home game against Canterbury next Saturday, but are hopeful the 28-year-old will be able to make another speedy recovery.

"It's alright, I'll be fine for next week," Munster quipped.

"(But) if I'm only going to be 60 or 70 per cent I'm not going to push it. I'll make sure I'm 100 per cent before I go back out there again."

Already without Ryan Papenhuyzen and Justin Olam, winger Xavier Coates is also expected to join Melbourne's ever-growing casualty ward with a sternoclavicular joint injury.

Coates was due for scans on Friday afternoon, with results expected on Saturday.

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The man accused of murdering Toyah Cordingley more than four years ago has faced court in Queensland for the first time.

Rajwinder Singh is charged with the murder of the 24-year-old at Wangetti Beach, north of Cairns, in October 2018.

The 38-year-old appeared via video-link dressed in a white T-shirt in Cairns Magistrates Court on Friday morning.

The former nurse remained silent throughout the hearing, except when Magistrate Cathy McLennan asked if he was Rajwinder Singh.

"Yes madam," Singh replied.

Police prosecutors told the court they would provide a brief of evidence by April 14, with a committal mention set down for April 28.

Singh has been remanded in custody.

Extra security officers were on duty at the court and there was an overflow room opened for members of the public to watch the proceedings.

Defence lawyer Derek Perkins refused to answer questions from journalists, who mobbed him outside the courthouse after the brief hearing.

"Mr Singh is innocent until proven guilty," he told the reporters.

Singh was arrested in Delhi in November before being extradited from India to Queensland via Melbourne this week.

© AAP 2023

Interest rate hikes and the rising cost of living are starting to bite Australians seeking their first home.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported on Friday the number of new owner-occupier first home buyer loan commitments fell 8.1 per cent in January - its lowest level since February 2017.

Mish Tan, ABS head of finance and wealth statistics, said the decline coincided with the winding down of COVID-19 pandemic stimulus measures.

The figure represents a 57.5 per cent decline from the high of early 2021, BIS Oxford Economics' Maree Kilroy said.

Rising interest rates are also dampening overall demand, with the Reserve Bank widely expected to again lift rates at its Tuesday board meeting.

The overall value of new loan commitments for housing fell 5.3 per cent to $22.1 billion in January.

The value of total new owner-occupier loan commitments fell 4.9 per cent to $14.7 billion, while new investor loan commitments fell six per cent to $7.4 billion.

Those in the market already are seeking better deals on their rates.

While the value of owner-occupier housing loan refinancing between lenders fell 1.9 per cent, it remained close to record highs at $12.7 billion.

Compare the Market's Stephen Zeller said people struggling to make repayments or needing to reduce negative equity on their property had a number of options.

They could talk with their lender, negotiate a lower rate, undertake renovations , sell the property or access hardship programs.

Mr Zeller said a 25 basis point rise in the cash rate on Tuesday would add about $79 a month to repayments on a $500,000 loan, or $118 on a $750,000 loan.

People with a $700,000 mortgage will likely soon be paying $1566 more each month than they were at the start of May 2022, following a 350 basis point jump in nine months.

The figures come as a new survey shows spiralling living costs and rate hikes being used by the RBA to rein in rising prices have triggered the highest rates of financial hardship since the start of the pandemic.

Four in 10 Australians are experiencing some form of financial difficulty, which is the highest number recorded by NAB's hardship survey since the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Those experiencing hardship may be struggling to pay bills and rent, don't have enough money to buy food, are falling short on mortgage or loan repayments, or don't have enough money to fund an emergency.

But the survey of 2000 Australians found just one in 20 respondents were struggling to meet their home loan obligations, compared to one in five people who had missed paying a bill in the past three months.

Meanwhile, Housing Minister Julie Collins has revealed the government's Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee has helped more than 2000 people into home ownership.

The scheme launched in October provides a government guarantee of up to 15 per cent for eligible first home buyers, so regional Australians with a deposit of as little as five per cent can avoid paying lenders' mortgage insurance.

Almost half of the participants are in regional Queensland, while 38 per cent are from NSW.

"We want more Australians to have a safe place to call home, and this is just one way we are already delivering," Ms Collins said.

© AAP 2023