'We'll get around him': Cameron Munster confirmed to lead out Queensland for Origin III after his father tragically died
Munster was in Maroons Camp when he got word his father Steven tragically died in Central Queensland on Sunday.
The newly appointed Queensland Captain left his team's camp to be with his family and indicated to Slater he would play Game 3 in Sydney.
The Maroons coach confirmed on Tuesday that Munster will fly down to Sydney to re-join his Queensland teammates.
'Cam will arrive this afternoon, so it'll be good to see him, I can't wait to give him a hug,' Slater said.
'Naturally he's been pretty upset over the last couple of days, but he's been where he's needed to be with his mum and his sister. He's spent some time with them on his way back into camp now.
'They are tragic circumstances, and it was a real sad and sombre mood over the last couple of days. I'm sure the lads are looking forward to seeing him and getting around him as well.'
Slater said there was uncertainty over whether Munster would play, but the Queensland captain said he was 'certain' about representing his state for his 21st Origin appearance.
'That's one thing that he was very firm with. He didn't have a lot of answers for a lot of other things, but he gave that one to me pretty straight,' Slater said.
'Once he said 'I'll be playing Wednesday night' that was it for me.
'We'll get around him this afternoon, we've got a captain's run. Will he take part in that? I'm not sure yet.'
Slater said he understands how Munster feels after he lost his father Ron Slater earlier this year in January.
'I haven't dealt with this as a coach, but I've dealt with it as a person,' he said.
'I lost my father in January, so I know what it's like, and Cam's an inspiration for many people.
'He's a hero to many people in Queensland, and I can only imagine his dad would have been his first inspiration and his first hero.
'He'd be hurting right now and that's why he needs us and he needs his family and you know the one thing about Cam is he's never let anyone down in the past and I don't expect that in the future.'
The Melbourne Storm five-eighth was man of the match in his first game as captain, as Queensland won 26-24 in Game 2 at Perth.
Queensland's victory has set up a series decider in Sydney, after New South Wales won Game 1 in Brisbane, 18-6.
The 30-year-old could cement himself in the history books and lead Queensland to become the first State of Origin side in 45 years to lose the first game and win the next two away from home.
The Maroons are expected to wear black armbands when they take the field.
Game 3 of State of Origin will kick off at 8:05pm (local time) Wednesday at Accor Stadium in Sydney.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Herald Sun
a day ago
- Herald Sun
NRL news: Jahrome Hughes forced to miss Cameron Munster's father's funeral after horror shoulder injury
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News. Melbourne star Jahrome Hughes was heartbreakingly forced to miss the funeral of his close friend and teammate Cameron Munster's father because he was not allowed to travel after picking up a shoulder injury on Thursday night. Hughes left the field just minutes into the second half of Melbourne's gutsy 34-30 win over the Roosters with the club confirming immediately that he'd dislocated his shoulder after landing awkwardly while making a tackle on James Tedesco. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. The reigning Dally M Medal winner was in agony and had to be helped off Allianz Stadium, with Melbourne's medical staff unable to put it back in, and he was sent to the hospital needing extreme pain medication. Hughes made it back to the team hotel in the early hours of Friday morning and luckily escaped needing surgery, but will miss around six weeks of action. Jahrome Hughes was forced to miss Cameron Munster's father's funeral. Image: Getty But the hammer blow came in the early hours of Friday morning when Hughes was informed the injury meant he wasn't clear to fly to Queensland to be by Munster's side as he bid farewell to his father Steve. The Maroons star didn't play on Thursday night because it would have been too difficult to get back to Queensland for the funeral on Friday. However, some players and staff caught a flight up to Rockhampton at 6am on Friday so they could attend the funeral. Cameron Munster bravely led the Maroons to Origin glory days after his father Steve passed away. Photo: NRL Photos Hughes originally planned to be on that flight, however, Melbourne chief Frank Ponissi said the Kiwi wasn't cleared to fly due to his shoulder. 'He said Jahrome got back to the hotel last night. They finally put the shoulder back in place in the hospital without too many issues,' journalist Andrew Webster told SEN, reading out Ponissi's text message to him. 'At this stage, it is very difficult to assess, although the initial scans show nothing too sinister. He was coming up to Munster's father's funeral this morning with a few of us, but instead will now head straight back to Melbourne with the team, where they will assess him.' Steve Munster died on the eve of State of Origin 3, and Cameron bravely played just days later, lifting the Maroons to a memorable series win. – with NewsWire Originally published as Jahrome Hughes forced to miss Cameron Munster's father's funeral after horror shoulder injury
News.com.au
a day ago
- News.com.au
Jahrome Hughes forced to miss Cameron Munster's father's funeral after horror shoulder injury
Melbourne star Jahrome Hughes was heartbreakingly forced to miss the funeral of his close friend and teammate Cameron Munster's father because he was not allowed to travel after picking up a shoulder injury on Thursday night. Hughes left the field just minutes into the second half of Melbourne's gutsy 34-30 win over the Roosters with the club confirming immediately that he'd dislocated his shoulder after landing awkwardly while making a tackle on James Tedesco. The reigning Dally M Medal winner was in agony and had to be helped off Allianz Stadium, with Melbourne's medical staff unable to put it back in, and he was sent to the hospital needing extreme pain medication. Hughes made it back to the team hotel in the early hours of Friday morning and luckily escaped needing surgery, but will miss around six weeks of action. But the hammer blow came in the early hours of Friday morning when Hughes was informed the injury meant he wasn't clear to fly to Queensland to be by Munster's side as he bid farewell to his father Steve. The Maroons star didn't play on Thursday night because it would have been too difficult to get back to Queensland for the funeral on Friday. However, some players and staff caught a flight up to Rockhampton at 6am on Friday so they could attend the funeral. Hughes originally planned to be on that flight, however, Melbourne chief Frank Ponissi said the Kiwi wasn't cleared to fly due to his shoulder. 'He said Jahrome got back to the hotel last night. They finally put the shoulder back in place in the hospital without too many issues,' journalist Andrew Webster told SEN, reading out Ponissi's text message to him. 'At this stage, it is very difficult to assess, although the initial scans show nothing too sinister. He was coming up to Munster's father's funeral this morning with a few of us, but instead will now head straight back to Melbourne with the team, where they will assess him.' Steve Munster died on the eve of State of Origin 3, and Cameron bravely played just days later, lifting the Maroons to a memorable series win.
News.com.au
2 days ago
- News.com.au
‘We'll lose the fans': Bennett's solution to Origin debate as UK recruit prepares for $2m acid test
South Sydney coach Wayne Bennett has weighed in on proposed changes to State of Origin eligibility while also calling for calm as English recruit Lewis Dodd prepares to make his first start at halfback after a rough first year in Australia. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer > Dodd was signed for three years on a lucrative deal but has played just four games off the bench this season despite the Rabbitohs going through a horror injury run in 2025. He'll finally start in the No.7 jersey against the Sharks with Jamie Humphreys in concussion protocols, with Bennett refusing to make any comments about Dodd's future before he sees how he performs. 'We're all going to be a lot smarter after tomorrow night, so let's wait until tomorrow night and answer some questions then,' he said, with suggestions the club could try to move him on at the end of the year. 'He's been good since he's been here. He's trained well, is well-mannered and has been highly respectful of the other players and his teammates. Nothing has changed for him. 'It could be a big month for him.' While Bennett didn't want to comment on Dodd's future, he was strong on Origin eligibility rules after it emerged that the Australian Rugby League Commission was considering making changes to stop players from having to choose between the Blues or Maroons and international sides England and New Zealand. As it stands, Origin stars like Stephen Crichton, Payne Haas and Jarome Luai can represent the Blues and then play for Samoa at the end of the year because of their tier 2 status. That loophole isn't available to guys like Victor Radley, who chose England over NSW, while there have been plenty of Kiwis who have been blocked from representing their state, while others have chosen to represent Tonga or Samoa so they can also play Origin. Bennett, who was in the mix to coach Australia in this year's Ashes series, has no issue with guys playing both formats but wants players to pick a country and stick with that choice for the rest of their careers. 'I don't believe they're going to play with the rules of Origin itself, and that's really important because the minute the fans realise it's not the genuine Queensland v NSW that it is, then we'll lose the fans,' Bennett warned. 'That's the great thing about it, the rivalry is real and it's not false, so we need to maintain that. 'The off side of that is players leaving that arena to then go and play for Tonga, Samoa, England, whatever. 'I'm happy for them to do that, but they can't do it as they're doing at the moment where you play for Tonga because they're second tier. If you play for England, it's first tier, so you can't swap nations. 'My point with it is that Origin eligibility won't change, and after that if you want to play for England and you qualify for England, then you do that. 'I'm happy for that because it makes the international game stronger, but I just don't want to see them playing for England and then coming back to play for Tonga because they're a second-tier nation. 'It's served its purpose and it's time to move on from that situation.' Fans would have loved to have seen Kiwis legend Benji Marshall play Origin, but he still wouldn't have been eligible even under the proposed changes given he moved to Australia after his 13th birthday. Regardless, he said he was never jealous given he's proud of his heritage. 'I always found it to be an Australian thing,' the Wests Tigers coach said. 'I just thought it was respectful to what it was that players from Australia played in that. 'We were always fans growing up in New Zealand. There was NSW and Queensland, but there was no wanting to play for them. I always wanted to play for New Zealand.'
