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"His first hero": Slater confirms Munster's plans
SEN • July 8th, 2025 1:41 pm
Billy Slater has confirmed that Cameron Munster will lead Queensland out against NSW in Wednesday night’s State of Origin decider despite coming to terms with the death of his father.
Munster is today (Tuesday) travelling back to camp ahead of Captain’s Run having been granted a compassionate leave after his father Steven died suddenly in Central Queensland.
Slater confirmed the Storm star had been spending time with his mum and sister since leaving camp but said when they discussed his options ahead of Game 3, Munster was very clear in his intention.
“Cam will arrive this afternoon, so it’ll be good to see him, I can’t wait to give him a hug,” Maroons coach Billy 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.
“There was a fair bit of uncertainty with ‘Mun’ on Sunday morning when I was sitting in his room but the one thing he was certain about is that he was playing on Wednesday night.
“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.
“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.
“There’s no textbook for this sort of stuff. His priority was to be with his family. Now he wants to come back into camp and get ready for a State of Origin game.
“It’s a huge game and he wants to be a part of that.”
Slater, who lost his own father earlier this year, said the whole experience had been a learning curve for him as a coach.
“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.”
After clawing their way back into the series with a two-point victory in Perth last month, it is all on the line tomorrow night at Accor Stadium.
It will be the 23rd decider in Origin history with the numbers very much in Queensland’s favour (15-5 and 2 draws).
Eight deciders have been played in Sydney with the Maroons just ahead at 4-3.
State of Origin Game III will be streamed on SEN.
