'One proud dad up there': How Cam drew inspiration from late father

As he ran on to Accor Stadium for kick-off in Wednesday night’s Origin decider, Cameron Munster looked to up to the heavens and called for his late father, Steven, to “give me as much energy as you can”.

“He hasn't got a whole heap, he was a big boy, so 10% of him was good,” Munster said after leading Queensland to an historic Origin series win just three days after losing his father.

Munster revealed that Maroons coach Billy Slater had convinced him to leave camp on Sunday to grieve with his mother and sister in Rockhampton and he was grateful that he did.

However, the newly appointed Queensland captain was never going to miss the Origin decider, and he knew that his father would have wanted him to play.

“It was an easy decision for me,” Munster said.

“I knew straight away when I heard my dad [had passed away] … that he would be stupid enough to tell me, I know for a fact, that footy's … not more important, family's obviously more important … but there's more at stake.

“It's a decider, I was in camp the whole week, I knew the preparation and it is really tough job for Bill and the coaching staff to obviously put someone in and obviously understand the way we wanted to play.”

After inspiring the Maroons to a 24-12 defeat of NSW in Sydney to clinch the series, an emotional Munster recounted how he had learned the news of his father’s sudden death, aged 58, on Sunday morning.

“I rang Bill straight away, and when I told him he dropped everything and came to my room,” Munster said.

“He lost his dad in January. His old man was a tough man, he was a very humble man and hardworking. He was a bit like my dad, he had a big heart, he would be friends with anyone, he had a lot of trust with a lot of people.”

There were tears shed in the Maroons camp and there were tears on the field at fulltime, as Munster was embraced by his team-mates and then Slater.

After accepting the State of Origin Shield on stage, Munster choked back more tears as he paid tribute to his mother Debbie, sister Danielle, partner Bianca and their three children.

“It’s hard. Obviously, I had a moment there with Bill and I had a moment with him on Sunday,” Munster said.

“He knows what I'm going through, and regardless of being a coach, he gave me the opportunity to go home first - like family’s first - and I'm forever grateful for that.

“I was probably more leaning towards not on it. I didn’t want to let Queensland down but he told me I needed to go home and I am so grateful that he made me go home.

“It's not ideal preparation wise but just the way that the team got up for me, I'll be sitting down when I'm 80 years of age remembering 2025.”

Along with Josh Papalii (23) and Valentine Holmes (21), Munster was the only member of the Queensland team to have played 20 Origins and a quote from the star five-eighth was written on the wall in the dressing sheds.

That’s what Queenslanders do best. When our back’s against the wall, we turn up.

Munster said: “Queensland's everything to me. I was obviously born there, and to captain this team and try to send out Papa out as a winner in his last game, in a foreign territory, is something I will hold dear to my heart for the rest of my life.

“I just have so much love for this team and our state, and I'm sure the other team do as well, but it's hard to put into words. I’ll go back to the Storm, and no disrespect to the Storm, but it's a different feeling when you come into Origin.

“Bill and obviously the coaching staff just have that belief and instil that history in us.”

Slater, who made the bold decision to appoint Munster as skipper ahead of any of the club captains in team after axing veteran halfback Daly Cherry-Evans for Tom Dearden, was in awe of the 30-year-old playmaker.