NRL Finals 2020: How Cameron Munster bounced back from alcohol issues and grand final double ‘brain explosion’
‘I’m trying to be a leader for the young blokes and talking to them about going down the right path.’ It’s been quite the change in attitude for Storm superstar Cameron Munster after some early-career indiscretions.
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Storm sensation Cameron Munster says he has addressed his problems with alcohol and has vowed to be a calmer figure on Friday night than the ill-tempered star who had a “brain explosion” in the 2018 grand final.
Melbourne are banking on Munster’s instinctive brilliance to overcome Canberra in their preliminary final at Suncorp Stadium and steer the Storm to their fourth grand-final in the past five seasons.
Returning to the big dance would be an atonement of sorts for Munster, who has not forgotten his twin meltdown: sin-binned twice, including kicking Joseph Manu, in Melbourne’s 21-6 grand-final loss to the Roosters two years ago.
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Munster was a shattered soul after that loss, a defeat compounded by his turbulent 2017 World Cup campaign, when he was briefly kicked out of Australian camp following an alcohol-fuelled incident at a Darwin pub.
Those two incidents painted an individual out of control, but Munster has found a silver lining, insisting the darkest period of his career has helped him grow up and become a senior player in Melbourne’s class of 2020.
“I’ve learned there’s a time and place ... to know when to have a good time and knowing when not to have a good time,” Munster said ahead of Melbourne’s sudden-death showdown with the Raiders.
“I’m trying to be a leader for the young blokes and talking to them about going down the right path.
“I went down a couple of wrong paths, just with alcohol.
“That is something I have been really talking to the boys about. When we are not allowed to have a drink then it is about making sure everyone is accountable and not having a beer.
“It is just little things like that.
“It is about being a leader on the field as well and at training. That is about talking when I need to. If I see something (that needs addressing), then I need to say something.
“That is something I have really focused on the last eight months.”
Recalling his last trip to the NRL’s biggest night of the season, Munster describes his 2018 grand-final display as “embarrassing” and a “grub act what I did”.
But when he runs onto Suncorp Stadium on Friday night, the Queensland Origin pivot won’t be getting into the gutter with the Green Machine. Yes, he will be competitive. Yes, he will be desperate to outpoint in-form Canberra five-eighth Jack Wighton.
But Munster is mindful he can be an emotional barometer for a Storm team increasingly looking to the 26-year-old’s leadership.
“I just want to take a deep breath and relax,” he said.
“When I am relaxed the team relaxes and that shows where I make the right decision nine times out of 10.
“When the Roosters kicked off in that game last year (their 14-6 defeat of Melbourne in the 2019 preliminary final), we gave them a penalty straight away with Nelson (Asofa-Solomona) having a bit of an argument with Siosiua Taukeiaho. That is not ideal for us.
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“We can’t be getting too emotional and hyped up in the game.
“I need to stay mellow. When I start getting frantic then everyone else gets frantic so I need to make sure this week I keep it nice and calm for everyone.”
Munster’s five-eighth magic will be crucial to eliminating the Raiders. It is an attacking intent inspired by his childhood years watching Benji Marshall, who produced that unforgettable flick pass in the Wests Tigers’ 2005 premiership win.
“I know he’s from New Zealand but Benji was the reason why everyone wanted to step and flick pass,” Munster said.
“Benji came to an invitational touch comp in Rockhampton (the year after he won the premiership) and I was lucky enough to be one of the kids to get a photo with him.
“I was starstruck when I met him and how nice he was.
“It would be nice to go all the way again after falling short the last couple of years.”
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Melbourne Storm star Ryan Papenhuyzen is ready for anything Canberra Raiders want to throw at him on Friday night as the NRL heavyweights square off in the grand final qualifier.
Papenhuyzen, 22, who owns a reputation for courageous carries into the opposition line, expects the Raiders to be at their physical best after bullying the Roosters in submission last weekend.
“I got to keep putting myself back in the picture, staying up and playing strong,” Papenhuyzen said.
“Everything is on the line now, it’s just the mentality you got to have, and I’ve got pretty used to it.”
Storm will be close to full-strength for the preliminary final, with Cameron Munster (knee) certain to play, while Dale Finucane (calf) was named as 18th man in the extended squad on Tuesday.
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Finucane completed the full session on Tuesday as required to be assured of selection but Storm will want to ensure the premiership lock has pulled up well enough to return from a nine-week absence.
Papenhuyzen has no concerns about Munster, despite the playmaker blaming a recent table tennis loss to the knee.
“There was a bit of carry on against Parra,” Papenhuyzen said, in reference to the Queenslander Munster hobbling off the field and throwing his mouthguard in frustration.
“I think he blamed his knee last night (table tennis) but there’s nothing wrong with it, he’s been training with us, he’s great to have and he’s a massive weapon of ours.
“To have him in the team and fit is really important.”
Munster’s availability sets up a mouth-watering dual with Origin combatant and Raiders five-eighth Jack Wighton at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.
Wighton has been instrumental to the Raiders making it to the final four, with brilliance in field play and being able to hit the scoreboard with three tries of his own.
“He‘s (Wighton) in crazy form at the moment,” Papenhuyzen said.
“He’s a very dangerous player … he’s so strong, can baulk players, a good kicking game, those sort of players you really need to be on top of otherwise they make the game really dangerous.”
Despite an imminent call-up and dream debut for the Blues, speedster Papenhuyzen has blocked out all Origin talk in pursuit of a premiership.
“It’d be pretty cool (playing Origin) but I always think a premiership is a lot cooler,” Papenhuyzen said.
“It‘s very high on my priority list, that’s (premiership) the main goal and I don’t want to really think about it at the moment because I’ve still got two big games to go.”
— Gilbert Gardiner
Originally published as NRL Finals 2020: How Cameron Munster bounced back from alcohol issues and grand final double ‘brain explosion’