A visibly emotional Billy Slater has stated that “there is no switch” to help Maroons captain Cameron Munster put aside his father’s passing ahead of Wednesday night’s State of Origin decider.
Munster departed the camp on Sunday following the unfortunate news of his father, Steven, who has died.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday morning, Slater confirmed that Munster would be rejoining the team for their final training session before game three.
An emotional Billy Slater addresses the media. Nine
While it remains uncertain whether Munster will participate in training on Tuesday afternoon, Slater was confident that he would represent his state come Wednesday.
“There was quite a bit of uncertainty for Mun on Sunday morning when I was sitting in his room, but the one thing he was certain about was that he was playing on Wednesday night. That was something he was quite firm about,” he remarked.
“He may not have had many answers for other questions, but that one came through clearly.”
Slater acknowledged that grief cannot be easily managed or turned off at will.
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“Unfortunately, there’s no switch for this. So, it’s not that simple,” he added.
Having lost his own father, Ronnie, in January, Slater feels he can relate to what Munster is going through.
“I can’t wait to see him and give him a hug,” he said.
“Like me, the boys are looking forward to supporting him as well.”
“Cam is an inspiration to many, a hero for countless people in Queensland. I can only imagine that his father was his first hero and inspiration.”
“He must be hurting right now, and that’s why he needs us and his family around him.”
When asked about Munster’s state of mind, Slater made it clear that grief cannot be glossed over.
“Naturally, he has been quite distraught these past days, but he was where he needed to be, with his mum and sister,” he explained.
“He’s spent some time with them and is now returning to camp.”
“He’s hurting at the moment, which is precisely why he needs the support of us and his family.”
Slater summarised the atmosphere within the Queensland camp as “sad and sombre”.
“Naturally, we care for Cam. He’s a great mate, and first and foremost, we all feel for him and his family,” he noted.
“It’s a tragic situation, and the mood has been quite somber over the last few days.”
Laurie Daley, Slater’s counterpart from the Blues, offered the full support of the NSW team to Munster during this challenging time.
“I genuinely feel for Cameron and his family during this tough period; it must be incredibly challenging,” Daley expressed on Tuesday.
“I know he’ll be surrounded by love and support from the team and the state, and our team is thinking of him as well.”
“Many of the players know him personally. Frank Ponissi and Craig Bellamy from our squad have close ties to Cameron, treating him like a son, and they’re struggling with this as well.”
“We just hope he’s alright.”
Munster stepped up as the Maroons’ captain after veteran fullback Daly Cherry-Evans was replaced following game one.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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