NRL 2020 Lockdown: A Day In Isolation with South Sydney star Cameron Murray
Cameron Murray may be one of rugby league’s most exciting young stars, but the Rabbitohs backrower has been forced into making some unusual adjustments to keep training while in NRL lockdown.
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Cameron Murray starts every day lifting weights in his parents’ basement.
Sure, the South Sydney backrower has only a barbell, plates totalling 100kg and little else.
Still every morning, he moves.
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Has to.
Just as afterwards, this 22-year-old will either plug into a finance podcast, stretch through a yoga session or simply turn through a few more pages of that latest novel, right now To Kill A Mockingbird.
“Because I’ve found that’s what works for me,” Murray said Wednesday, another basement workout in the books.
“I really need to keep my mind and body ticking over.”
Always has, too.
Which is why when explaining what fuels this latest subject of our ‘A Day In Isolation With …’ series, we must first take you back to the deciding State of Origin match at ANZ Stadium, last July.
When with a dozen minutes to play, Murray’s legs appeared shot.
“Oh, Cam was gone, definitely,” NSW trainer Hayden Knowles recalled this week. “Completely exhausted.”
Which is exactly the message this Blues runner then relayed to coach Brad Fittler, who standing by the sideline simply nodded and replied ‘OK, keep him going a little longer’.
So Knowles did.
Every time he re-entered the field, screaming: “Cam, don’t you @%&*%ing stop moving”.
And Murray, he never stopped moving.
Carted the Steeden.
Saved an almost certain Queensland try, too.
After which Knowles again told the bench how their Origin newbie was now operating on fumes, and maybe not even that.
Still, Fittler kept faith.
“Keep him moving,” he said.
Which is how, finally, we arrive at that moment with 45 seconds to play and the scores locked 20-all.
With Knowles screaming, Murray gone, and still demanding one more carry.
But even that isn’t enough for the Blues backrower, who found an offload.
A pass that not only hit Mitchell Pearce, or eventually sent Blake Ferguson away up the right touchline, but finished with James Tedesco scoring the try that decided the series.
“One of the Blues’ most important ever,” Knowles reckoned.
“And all because Cam Murray never stopped moving.”
Which is how it remains today, even in NRL lockdown.
With his own apartment too small for a makeshift gym, Murray makes the short drive to his parents Botany home every morning, where a workout space has been created in the basement.
Elsewhere, the 22-year-old also spends time reading, running at the park, doing yoga, walking with his partner, and listening to podcasts like InvestED – “which is about the Warren Buffett style of investing” – and The Mentor, featuring Mark Bouris.
“So right now, yeah, I’m enjoying lockdown,” Murray said with a laugh.
“I’m not sure how long that will last though, so you need to continually find things to keep you stimulated and motivated.
“I’m trying some CrossFit stuff, doing one field session each week with a personal trainer, and also some yoga.
“My partner and I also like getting out for a walk when its quiet.
“Anything really to keep moving.”