Cameron Munster is closing on some of Queensland’s greatest ever players and the King of Origin football after he captained the Maroons to a series win amid immense personal turmoil.
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Munster was made captain with Queensland down 1-0 in the series and won his third player of the match award from 21 Origins in game two, before leading his side to a series clinching victory in enemy territory just days after the tragic passing of his father Steven at 58.
Braith Anasta questioned where does Munster now rate amongst Queensland’s greatest players.
Gorden Tallis believes Munster is up there with the best Origin players ever because of his leadership and ability to do things that other players can’t.
“He’s up there, they don’t lie, but I’m not a stat man, it’s just what he does in the jersey for the guy to come and have the influence on the game the way he does, the way he bounces,” Tallis said on NRL 360.
“But more importantly, the way the guy’s lifted for him, so with leadership, they all come in different shapes and sizes, but they all follow him.”
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He has unbelievable stats, but he doesn’t need those stats to show for me when I watch him play on how important he is to our side.
“Last year I thought it was the blueprint. The way we played in game three, we had everything but Cameron Munster and Tino, and we had it this year and the boys put in the same effort.
“It is a team game. Tommy Dearden was outstanding. Reuben Cotter was outstanding. Well, all 17 Queenslanders were absolutely outstanding, but Munster just sometimes he can go onto a level that only he goes on.
“They say Joey is the closest to Lewis and Cameron Smith, but if he gets one more man in the match performance, I think he’s equal with those guys.
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James Hooper believes Munster is up there with the best players Queensland have produced and he still has plenty of chapters to his Origin story still to write.
“There’s only one King in Wally Lewis, but Cameron’s starting to get frighteningly close to where the king is,” Hooper said.
“You’ve got Alfie Langer, you’ve got Kevvie Walters, you’ve got Darren Lockyer, you’ve got all those champion playmakers over the years.
“But what Cameron can do in big games, facing adversity, nobody gave Queensland a chance in this series after how dominant New South Wales were in game one.
“So for Cameron to be made captain and lead the state with his actions the way that he has, I think that puts him in elite company.”
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The Daily Telegraph’s Phil Rothfield believes the fact Munster’s biggest fan is Lewis says it all.
“Whenever Wally Lewis speaks to the lunch engagement, he does a lot of them in Brisbane and he always brings Cameron up and he also always talks about he’s up there with the greatest players to ever wear the jersey, so coming from the king, that’s enough,” Rothfield said.
Rothfield marvelled at the strength it took Munster to just play after such a tough week for him and his family.
“At major events you expect great photography and great vision and when they came in at the end on Billy who had lost his dad with Cameron and the tears that were flowing in that embrace for quite some time, it was unbelievable emotion and good on Cameron, very, very brave to get out there and play,” Rothfield said.
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Hooper believes the Maroons players were never going to let Munster down and were laser focused on getting the win on Wednesday night.
“Phenomenal performance, not just from Cameron but the entire Queensland side and I don’t think we can underestimate or undersell the impact that Cameron being prepared to play for Queensland as captain of the state, given the personal situation and tragedy that he was facing,” Hooper said.
“The emotional lift, the way that side, all 17 of those players were dialled in and ready to run through flames and run through whatever adversity they faced.
“They clearly tapped into that and phenomenal performance by Cameron.”
Anasta, who is Munster’s manager couldn’t believe how much has changed from game one of the series.
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“They were all great, the whole team and the added inspiration and motivation to do it for Cameron and his father you could see visibly and they were sensational,” Anasta said.
“I was talking to Cameron last night after the game and I was like, mate, can you believe that two games ago he’d lost game one, he wasn’t the captain and you guys were pretty much on the brink of losing the series.
“He gets to named the captain, he wins two games, gets man of the match, his father passes away, goes home, comes back and he’s holding up the shield. It was surreal.”
Rothfield believes Munster could even captain Australia on the Ashes Tour at the end of the year and could write a blank check for one of the new expansion sides.
“What lies ahead now after what we’ve seen from him in this series, not just his future at Melbourne Storm, but these expansion clubs looking for a face of a club and a champion,” Rothfield said.
“And even thinking about the Kangaroos tour, it’s going to be a very difficult tour of England and he’s now neck and neck with Isaah Yeo for the captaincy of Australia after what he’s done in this series.”