When newly appointed Queensland Maroons captain Cameron Munster got called into Billy Slater’s room for a chat to tell him the good news, his first thought that he was in some trouble.
Munster, a noted larrikin who has ridden in the front car of rugby league's roller coaster his whole career, has shed his ratbag image to develop into a genuine leader, culminating in his selection to lead out his state in next Wednesday’s must-win Perth Origin.
“I'm pretty emotional,” Munster told reporters when asked what it meant to be named captain. “If you asked me that question five or 10 years ago, everyone would have laughed in your face.
“I've developed into a leadership role over the last three or four years. I have grown up a bit … I have a lot of leaders around me at the Storm and there are a lot of leaders in this team as well. I'm very excited to lead this team out.
“It was around 9.30pm last night (that) Bill messaged me saying ‘are you around?’ and I'm like ‘yeah, I'm just sitting in my room’.
The making of an Origin captain
“Bill said come to my room and I thought, ‘OK, what could this be about?’
“I thought maybe I was getting dropped or 18th man, but Bill brought me in the room and said I want you to be the captain for Queensland, I think you will do a great job.
“He told me to lead by my actions, I don't need to be a talker or trying to motivate the boys around, they have enough motivation as it is.
“For me, I just have to play my role, play the best footy I know I can and try and get the boys up and about.
“We were a bit flat there in Game One, so hopefully in Game Two I can bring a bit of energy and hopefully light a spark in the lads.”
While it was a dream come true for Munster to be told he would lead out the Maroons, it was an honour that came with a bittersweet taste as he will take over the captaincy from his good friend Daly Cherry-Evans, who was not retained after the 18-6 Game One loss in Brisbane.
“It's terrible circumstances with Chez, I am close mates with him, but unfortunately someone had to take the role and I'm pretty excited to lead these boys out on Wednesday night and looking forward to it,” the Maroons five-eighth said.
“I spoke to Chez probably a couple of days ago, I don't really need to go into a whole heap of detail on what I said to him but he's obviously been a great captain for the state for a long time.
“I know it's disappointing for him and his family.
“He hasn't got the opportunity to right the wrongs for Game One, but I do and hopefully I can go out there and make him proud, make the state proud as the captain and hopefully stay in this role a little bit longer.”
On his turnaround, Munster credited the influence of his family, especially wife Bianca, for his new level of maturity, but said he still had time to find the fun in life’s situations.
“Looking back on it five years ago I'd be probably still a larrikin, I still am a larrikin, I still just got to pick my times and when and where and now I've got to lead this team and try and show actions that a leader does,” Munster said.
“I'm not going to change the person I am, it's the reason why I am who I am, a lot of people have different ways and different traits of how they lead.
“Five years ago, I was not even in the leadership group of my own club, so for me to be able to get this honour, my wife has played a massive part in that and my kids.
“I think having kids probably made me have to grow up a little bit more and want to be a role model not only for my kids but kids in the community in Queensland.
“Probably previously before that I was just worried about myself and not worried about other things and probably the consequences that were going to come with myself and my name.”
Nobodies to Somebodies - the '95 Maroons Story: Game II
Munster will run out for his 20th game for the Maroons - earning a FOGS Dick ‘Tosser’ Medal for his achievement - and he allowed himself a moment to reflect on how far he had come since making his Origin debut in a Game Three win in 2017, playing in a spine that featured Slater as fullback.
“For me playing my first game in the side in Brisbane, we had a lot of great blokes that would probably go down as Immortals, so I was pretty much carried in that game,” Munster said.
“It was pretty lucky for me, but to be able to hold a head now and be able to captain this young group, it's pretty special.
“It's a bit of a turning circle and hopefully I can go out there and lead like the boys that have led before me.
“It's such a great opportunity to be captain, being the 16th one and when you look at the greats of the game to be able to be captain of Queensland, it's pretty special.
“I still pinch myself, when Bill told me last night I had a little tear, and it still gives me goosebumps hearing about it.”
Match: Maroons v Blues
Game 2 -
home Team
Maroons
away Team
Blues
Venue: Optus Stadium, Perth
Match broadcasters:
- WatchNRL
