‘Best way to pay our respects to the family’: How Maroons plan to honour Munsters

The Maroons of 2025 are ready to produce an Origin fairytale and have been further fuelled by their skipper’s family tragedy. This is how Queensland plan to honour the Munster family.

The Maroons have vowed to honour the death of captain Cameron Munster’s father when they attempt to create Origin history in Wednesday’s series decider.

Munster is expected to lead Queensland on to Accor Stadium on Wednesday night just four days after his father Steven Munster died suddenly.

Cameron departed Camp Maroon on the Sunshine Coast on Sunday morning to return to Central Queensland to be with his family following the shock death of Steven.

The Maroons jetted into Sydney on Monday afternoon without their inspirational skipper, who is expected to reunite with the Queensland team on Tuesday before captain’s run.

Munster, 30, has indicated he will pull on the No. 6 jersey as Billy Slater’s Maroons attempt to create Origin history in the sold-out decider.

Since State of Origin was launched in 1980, no Queensland team has won two matches on the road after losing Game One to win a series.

The Maroons have rallied around Cameron Munster following the death of his father. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

But the Maroons of 2025 are ready to produce a fairytale and have been further fuelled by their skipper’s family tragedy.

“It hits everyone hard,” Maroons hooker Harry Grant said.

“(The Munsters) are a beautiful family and I’ve had plenty of moments and experiences with the family over the years.

“The best way we can support him is throwing our arm around him and ultimately the best way we can support him is with our performance and our preparation.

“What we can control is our performance and that’s the best way to pay our respects to the family.

“There’s plenty of motivation for us as Queenslanders to make Queensland proud.

“This is another thing for us to be able to wrap our arms around our mate and make him and his family proud as well.”

Harry Grant on honouring the Munster family.

Munster was handed the Queensland captaincy for Game Two in Perth three weeks ago following the axing of halfback Daly Cherry-Evans.

He responded with one of the finest performances of his 20-game Origin career, collecting man-of-the-match honours after leading Queensland to a famous victory to level the series.

It proved to be the last Origin game Steven Munster saw his son play.

Grant, Munster’s long-term Melbourne Storm teammate and a fellow CQ product, said Steven would have wanted Cameron to play in the decider.

“When you think about it, Cameron Munster captaining Queensland brings so much pride to the whole of his family and ‘Stevie-boy’ would love to see him out there in the maroon captaining his state,” Grant said.

Queensland’s team photo ahead of Game III. Picture: Queensland Maroons

“I think it is very brave the way he is handling the situation. We have to respect the way he is handling it and respect the way he is doing things and give him that time and space to flick the mindset to Queensland Maroons, Origin and what is around the corner.

“It is a show of character to Cameron and also to his family. Ultimately he wants to lace the boots up and wear the maroon and make his family proud.

“It shows the strength of character of Cam and who he is and more importantly how much the maroon means to him and his family.

“For us it leads to supporting him, wrapping our arms around him but also doing that with our performances.

“It’s a great show of courage and strength of Cam but he is with his family and dealing with that. Once the game comes around he is prepared to do his job.”

The Maroons are expected to wear black armbands in the game as a sign of respect to the Munster family.