Cameron Munster has just done a job few others in this world have been asked to do.
Just over 72 hours after losing one of the most important people in his life, his father Steve, the 30-year-old backed that up by taking to the field in one of the toughest sporting contests in the world, and led his state to Origin glory.
As the full-time siren sounded after the State of Origin decider, tears streamed down the face of the five-eighth as the emotion of it all caught up with him. His feelings are understandably still raw after the 24-12 series sealing win.
He often comes across as a larrikin and a boy who is not afraid of a joke, but you could tell he was affected, even if he was doing his best to hold it together and remain calm.
Munster has done hundreds of television interviews and is definitely not camera-shy. But at times, post-game, he was struggling to finish sentences and forgetting the occasional word. It’s all understandable when you consider everything that he has been through; the lows and highs of the past week.
Cameron Munster. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
He had just helped deliver one of the all-time great Origin series comebacks, against the odds, doing it with a heavy heart.
“My dad had a big heart, was big friends with anyone and had a lot of trust with a lot of people,” Munster said.
“I knew straight away… he’d be stupid enough to say that while family is more important, there’s more at stake (by playing). It’s a decider. I was in camp all week and knew the preparation; it would have been difficult for Bill and the coaching staff to put someone else in.
“It was an easy decision for me. Queensland is everything; I was born there and I love the Maroon.
“I would never have turned this down, because you never know when it’s your last time wearing the jersey, and I wasn’t going to let it happen now.”
You cannot imagine what was going on inside his head, but through the whole ordeal, there was never any doubt in his mind that he would not play in Sydney.
In fact, he needed to be convinced to leave the Maroons camp and be with his family.
“He (Slater) knows what I am going through. He gave me the opportunity to go home first because family is first and I am forever grateful for that.
“I was more leaning towards not doing it (leaving camp) because I didn’t want to let Bill or Queensland down, but Bill told me that I needed to go home, and I am grateful.
“Just the way the team got up for me, I will be sitting there at 80 years of age remembering 2025.
“I will obviously grieve and deal with what I have to deal with tomorrow, but tonight I want to soak it up while I can.”
Billy Slater, Maroons head coach celebrates winning with captain Cameron Munster. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Slater and Munster are quite close, and the former teammates often share a joke and some banter. But when his captain broke the devastating news, his coach dropped everything to be there by his side in support.
“That’s as courageous and brave as I have ever seen,” Slater said.
“I lost my dad in January. I know what it is like, I know how it feels.
“Our dads are our heroes, and I don’t know how he did it, but within 10 minutes of sitting with him in his room on Sunday morning, he looked at me and said, ‘I’m playing’.
“I know he wanted to and know his dad would have wanted him to… boy, that’s one proud dad sitting up there watching his boy tonight.”
‘I have never felt like this’: Slater hails true Queensland performance
Under fire and as rank outsiders, Queensland came with a game plan to dismantle the Blues.
They were written off by many because the Blues had a star-studded roster of attacking weapons and playmakers, but they barely fired a shot. They were not allowed to.
The Maroons played a simple, yet effective game of yardage and discipline and had what would be a match-winning score by halftime.
Even when the Blues had their chances in the second half, the Maroons’ defensive wall stood tall and strong.
“I don’t like ranking things, but I have never felt like this,” Slater said.
It was a huge leap from the performance Queensland displayed at Suncorp Stadium in the opening game, and if people were writing off the Maroons as underdogs and saying they shouldn’t win, no one told Slater.
With the win under his belt, Slater was proud but, through his tone, also didn’t miss the chance to deliver a subtle dig back his critics who didn’t give his team a chance throughout the series.
“Who is saying you’re not supposed to? That’s the question you need to be asking,” Slater remarked sternly about the media coverage.
“It is your actions out on the field at the end of the day that do the talking, not what you write through the week or what you say on shows.
“That doesn’t mean anything, it is the actions out on the field; when a group of players believe in each other and what they want to achieve together, that’s pretty powerful.”
Harry Grant of the Maroons celebrates a try with team mates. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
The series has already been compared to Queensland’s victory in 1995, where Paul Vautin famously coached a team of lesser-known players to victory, with the Super League stars not available for selection.
“Talk about the Neville Nobody’s of 2025, no one in the journo world gave us a chance – so it will be interesting to see what you will say tomorrow,” Munster said.
Slater echoed that praise, realising there have been so many adversities they have had to go through, including the lacklustre performance in game one and the changing of the captain and halfback, to Kalyn Ponga’s injury, being called ‘a grub’ on radio and finally the Munster family tragedy.
“It’s been a true Queensland performance,” the coach said.
“(The 1995 series win) was something that we delved into, just the way they went about it.
“We appreciated that, and I saw that out there tonight. Like the resilience on the tryline, that was pretty special.”
One of the biggest calls of the Origin series was axing Daly Cherry-Evans from the starting halfback role to promote Tom Dearden after the series opener.
It was a controversial selection, even north of the border, but the Cowboys playmaker more than repaid the faith shown in him.
After performing strongly in game two, he was the player of the match in the series-clinching triumph.
Dearden scored two tries and was immense in defence to prevent a couple of NSW four-pointers – and he was also named the Wally Lewis Medallist despite starting in just two of the three matches.
“I don’t think anyone is surprised at how Tom Deaden has played in the No.7 jersey,” Slater said.
“Daly Cherry-Evans has been a wonderful halfback and a wonderful captain for this team over a long period of time.
“I just felt that it was Tom’s time. It is Tom Dearden’s time to step up and rise to the position, and he has done that. He’s sitting in there with a few medallions around his neck.
“You don’t get that because people predict things about you; you get that because you earn it through actions on the field.”
From anxious dad to Origin winner for Papali’i
Munster’s story was not the only courageous family act of the Origin decider, with Canberra Raiders enforcer Josh Papali’i returning to rep footy after giving it away a few years ago.
Making the story even more remarkable was that his wife, Mesepa, gave birth to their fourth child, a baby boy named Jeremiah, on June 28, just days before the Maroons brought him into camp. However, throwing a spanner into the works was that the new mother’s hospital stay was longer than expected.
“I was happily retired,” he said.
“I missed the first few calls from Bill due to my son being in hospital and the wife as well with a few complications after the birth.
“I said I wasn’t going to come back but when I saw Bill’s number pop up I said yes. I knew the value of what I could bring to this footy team.
“Just being that calm head amongst the group, I thought I could bring that, and I thought we did well tonight.”
Slater admits that he didn’t always know that the big front-rower was going to say yes to the call-up when he reached out.
“I was terrified when he picked the phone up that he was going to be empty of that fire, and say ‘Sorry Bill, my days are done,” Slater said.
“But within a couple of words, I felt he had that fire in him, and I am sure Queensland are so appreciative of what Papa has done; his performance tonight, that first 15 minutes laid the platform for the rewards to be reaped.
“At 33 years old, the big fella has done his duty for Queensland, and to come back one last time and perform like that, it’s incredible. That story will be told as a legacy for many years to come.
“For the first three days of camp, Papa didn’t come in. His wife Sepa had a baby boy the week before, and there were a few complications, and the big fella slept in a hospital chair for a couple of nights. His priority was being a dad and making sure his family was okay.”
But Slater knows this Origin retirement for real, knowing another call-up will not happen next year.
“He’ll screen my calls – I guarantee it,” Slater joked.
Matt Russellhttps://www.theroar.com.au/2025/07/10/i-didnt-want-to-let-queensland-down-selfless-munster-nearly-put-state-over-family-with-courageous-origin-attitude/‘I didn’t want to let Queensland down’: Selfless Munster nearly put state over family with courageous Origin attitude
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