5 hours ago
1
Cameron Munster took two deep breaths, then ran on to the turf at Accor Stadium on Wednesday night for the State of Origin decider, four days after his father died.
Once he reached the middle of the field he looked up, seeking strength from the man who made him, now in another place. “I just asked him to use as much energy as he can,” Munster said afterwards.
The 30-year-old was seated in the stadium’s press conference room at close to midnight alongside Billy Slater, his former teammate, whose own father died in January. Queensland’s captain and coach were joined by Josh Papalii, the veteran prop brought out of retirement by Slater for Game 3.
The room smelled of beer. Munster said processing the death of his father would have to wait. “I love him, and yeah I’ll obviously grieve and deal with what I have to deal with tomorrow,” he said. “But I want to soak it up tonight with my family, with the team.”
In the now two generations for which State of Origin has existed, the sight of these three men triumphant together was significant. The 1995 Queensland team, weakened by Super League, had been repeatedly used by the Maroons as inspiration in this year’s series.
But this year’s edition – having come back to win two matches away from Brisbane for the first time – was perhaps even more special. Few had believed they could beat the formidable Blues, who were settled and confident and entered Game 2 on a three-match winning streak.
Just how special were they? Like a parent asked to name their favourite child, Slater was reluctant to say. “I don’t like ranking things, but I’ve never felt like this,” said the man who has now coached the Maroons to three series victories in four years, and won 19 matches while playing.
There was enough in Papalii’s story by itself – highlighted by his fierce 25 minutes on the field – to fill Thursday’s back pages. His wife, Sepa, gave birth to their fourth child at the start of camp, delaying the 33-year-old’s arrival after he spent two nights sleeping on a chair in the hospital.
Papalii’s son Noa – complete with a mullet – had been asked on Channel Nine not long after the final whistle “how good” his father was. “Good,” the seven-year-old replied. “Just worried about the baby at home, so my dad could see him and hug him.”
The prop forward has found a new zeal in the Raiders’ rise to the top of the NRL, but he was unsure that he could still contribute at Origin level when he received the call from Slater, particularly given the medical complications around the birth. “There were doubts in my mind whether I still had it, whether it was the right move to come back,” he said.
But he said he has been guided by his principles. “There’s three things I care about, and that’s my faith, my family, and obviously this jersey,” he said. “I’m glad my son’s old enough to realise what Dad’s doing, and hopefully I’m here in 20 years supporting him.”
If it wasn’t Papalii, the protagonist in this year’s Origin narrative was surely Slater. He looked rattled in the lead-up to Game 2 when he referenced Paul Green, his predecessor, in an argument about the media’s use of personal insults and whether people are “able to handle” abuse. Green died in 2022 and his brain was subsequently found to be affected by chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Slater apologised a day later. With his team struggling in attack, he appeared out of ideas.
Turns out he wasn’t. The 42-year-old took the drastic step of axing longtime captain and halfback, Daly Cherry-Evans, one of his former teammates. In addition to giving an Origin debut to Robert Toia in Game 1, he called up another debutant, journeyman Gehamat Shibasaki, for Game 3. He overlooked Reece Walsh and gave the No 1 to Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, who was crucial in Wednesday’s second try. Then there was the gamble in bringing back Papalii. “Yeah, there’s been a fair bit going on,” Slater said. “It is a true Queensland team, it’s been a true Queensland performance. “
Halfback Tom Dearden encapsulated what Slater described. Few look at the blond 24-year-old Broncos reject as one of the game’s best players, particularly given the CV of his opposite number Nathan Cleary. But the Queenslander won the Wally Lewis Medal for player of the series even after starting Game 1 behind Cherry-Evans as a utility off the bench.
On Wednesday he scored two tries, laid the platform for Queensland’s crucial third just before half-time with a quick play-the-ball, had a hand in the opener, and pulled off two cover tackles on Brian To’o as the Maroons held on. “He’s probably one of the best competitors I’ve ever seen play the game,” Slater said.
But the spotlight shone brightest on Munster. He was neat in the decider, and his pass to Shibasaki helped lure Zac Lomax into a missed tackle to create the first try. But most importantly, he was simply there. Munster said ultimately it was an “easy decision” to play. “Footy’s not more important, family’s obviously more important, but there’s more at stake,” he said. Game 3 began with a birth, and was marked by a death. Like a Queensland State of Origin victory, so continues the circle of life.
English (US)