State of Origin 2021: Cameron Munster opens up about Magic Round bender

It almost cost him his Origin spot, and now Maroons star Cam Munster has opened up about his Magic Round blowout that left the Storm star and his club fuming.

Queensland superstar Cameron Munster. NRL Imagery

Queensland star Cameron Munster has opened up about his Magic Round bender, admitting he needs to grow up and has vowed to deliver a matchwinning performance for the Maroons in Origin I.

Munster put his Origin I hopes in jeopardy after embarking on an alcohol-fuelled night out at a time when he was under strict orders to rehabilitate a foot injury to ensure he would be fit for the series opener.

Munster injured his foot playing for the Storm on May 6. Just a week later, Melbourne travelled to Brisbane for the NRL’s Magic Round and with Munster sidelined, the Maroons and Storm pivot made the mistake of turning a quiet dinner into a night on the booze.

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Cameron Munster . (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Storm bosses were said to be filthy with Munster and he also raised eyebrows with Queensland team medicos who feared his excess alcohol consumption would compromise his recovery for Origin I.

In the end, Munster has made it to the starting blocks for the Maroons. The larrikin five-eighth insists he was not out of control, but admits he let down Melbourne and Queensland, with Munster forced to personally apologise to the Storm playing group at a club renowned for its ultra professionalism.

Munster is also mindful of firing for the Maroons at Queensland Country Bank Stadium to prove his Brisvegas booze-up did not compound his injury battle.

“I just had a couple of drinks, a couple of quiet ones, and obviously being injured I wasn’t allowed to drink,” said Munster, speaking for the first time about the incident.

“That’s on me, I need to be better there.

“I ran into a few mates I was having dinner with and it went from there.

“I can’t really comment on what happened after it, but that’s the great thing about the Storm, everyone is accountable for their actions.

“I wouldn’t say I overstepped the boundaries but it wasn’t something the club and myself were happy with.”

Munster insists he does not have a problem with alcohol but it is not the first time he has found himself in hot water with the Storm.

In 2017, he was sensationally sent home by Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga after a pub altercation with Ben Hunt during Australia’s World Cup campaign.

Upon his return to Melbourne, he was read the riot act by Storm coach Craig Bellamy.

Since that incident, Munster has developed into a State of Origin game breaker for the Maroons. He won the Wally Lewis Medal as player of the series after orchestrating last year’s epic boilover of the Blues, but admits he could have easily been sacked by the Storm for his off-field behaviour.

Munster during a Maroons training session. Picture: NRL Imagery

“I have matured a lot more,” he said.

“I am a smarter guy and I know there is a time and place with some of the things I do.

“I have been very lucky that the club has been very supportive and has been very stretchy with the rules with myself.

“We have a good relationship so the Storm have seen the good in me.

“At times, I know they would have been happy to let me go, so I am lucky that they have shown faith and support in me.

“I am grateful for that and I want to repay it ten-fold.”

Munster’s influence at Camp Maroon is greater than he realises. While he is still in his mid-20s, Maroons teammates are blown away by a resume headlined by two premiership rings with the Storm.

“Munster is in the top three players in the NRL for me,” Maroons back-rower David Fifita says.

“When he talks in camp, everyone looks at him and says, ‘Wow’.

“We really look up to him and admire what he says.”

In the build-up to Origin I, Maroons skipper Daly Cherry-Evans touted Munster as Queensland’s next captain.

As a boy from Rockhampton who idolised Darren Lockyer, Munster says captaining Queensland would be a dream come true, but the 26-year-old is honest about his leadership potential.

“It’s a goal and aspiration for me to be Origin captain, but for me to be the best version of myself, I have to get my off-field stuff sorted and go from there,” he said.

“As a kid, I’ve always aspired just to play one NRL game and then once you get to play that, you want to play one Origin game for your state.

“I have been very fortunate enough to do that.

“Not many people have captained their state. It’s a goal of mine to do it, I won’t sugar-coat it, but for me as a person, I have a few more indiscretions I need to worry about before I look at the Queensland captaincy.”