Cam Munster had just lost his father. Somehow, he found the strength to crack a joke

It was the moment that encapsulated what makes Cameron Munster a great person and a great player, and at the same time showed his teammates that the Blues were no chance on Wednesday night.

Munster lost his father, Steven, last Sunday, but showed incredible strength to train, play and lead his team to Origin glory. He relied on his loved ones, his teammates and his coach.

But it was his humour that got him and those around him through.

Another Queensland Origin legend tells the story that sums up Munster best. The man known as “The King”, Wally Lewis, attended Maroons training on Tuesday and saw Munster’s grieving mum, Deborah.

“I went over and gave her a hug to express my sympathies for what had happened,” Lewis said. “As I was doing it, Cameron ran past and said, ‘Come on mum, it’s only been a couple of days’, referring to his dad’s passing and our hug. His humour at that moment said it all about the bloke.

“I’m the president of the Cam fan club, and it’s not just because of what he does on the field, it’s because of the person that he is.

Cameron Munster hugs his mother, Deborah, after the Origin decider.Credit: Getty Images

“I remember finding out just before an Origin that my daughter had been diagnosed as being profoundly deaf. I knew right there and then that I was done with Origin. I told the Queensland management that I was done after the game. I had to play, and they agreed.

“There’s been a lot of courageous things done in a Queensland jumper and what Cameron did the other night is right up there.”

Munster is now part of Origin folklore, but as Blues assistant coach Craig Bellamy explains, that’s not what drives him at all.

“It’s his genuine care for his team and teammates that sets him apart from any other player,” Bellamy told me. “He has those periods where you think he’s a joker or a mad man, but there is more to him than that.

Cameron Munster and Josh Papali’i celebrate Queensland’s series win with the Origin shield.Credit: Getty Images

“I don’t think I’ve seen a player who cares about his team as much as he does out of every player I’ve coached, and what he did for his Queensland team reflects that. What he went through was horrible, but he put it to one side, somehow put all of that aside, and played.

“He is a rare combination of physically tough and mentally tough. There might be a couple of players who are his equal in that regard, but none better. This may sound really weird because I was on the other side, but I was proud of him for what he did in Origin. Not too many other footballers could have done that.”

Andrew Johns and Nathan Cleary share a private moment on the field after the Origin decider.

Joey comforts Cleary after Origin shock

No one is saying it publicly, but a brief post-game chat in the middle of Accor Stadium between Andrew Johns and Nathan Cleary could be so important to the Penrith half’s development into an Origin great.

Cleary was inconsolable at full-time following NSW’s 24-12 loss to Queensland, barely able to get words out as he tried to work out what had just happened. He spent considerable time with his parents, Ivan and Rebecca, in the stands, and his mum had her arms around him in the dressing room later.

Nathan told me it was a reminder of their “unconditional love” as he battled the demons of blaming himself for losing a series the Blues should have won.

While the love of his family is one thing, the words of one of the game’s Immortals carry a huge amount of weight. It was a private chat, but I’ve been told the message was simple, and along the lines of: “Don’t beat yourself up – they were perfect tonight”.

That is a fact. But it’s also true that the Blues were flat and clunky.

One Queensland great asked me if the Blues had choked. That would be more acceptable to many than the thought that they were simply not prepared for what Queensland brought. There was no obvious plan B. The Maroons’ passion should not have been a surprise. But NSW did not match Queensland for desire or fire. And in an Origin decider, that is worse than suffering any kind of stage fright.

Billy Slater fronts media with his Maroons players on Sunday to announce the death of Cam Munster’s father.Credit: Getty Images

Slater learns tough lessons

Billy Slater deserves huge praise for the way he handled the death of Cameron Munster’s father.

The Queensland coach’s press conference, where he had the entire Maroons team behind him to show their support for Munster and his family, was excellent. The idea may have been borrowed from an experience Slater had years ago with the Storm, when coach Craig Bellamy had his players behind him when fronting the media after the club’s competition points were stripped after it was discovered they were rorting the salary cap.

Melbourne showed enormous passion and discipline to play that season just for pride in their jumper after their ability to accumulate points was removed by the NRL. Slater was one of the players standing behind Bellamy on that day as they marched across their home ground in an act of unity to show the rest of the NRL that they could not be divided by what they were experiencing.

Craig Bellamy reads a statement in front of Melbourne players in 2010 after the salary cap penalties were announced.Credit: Paul Rovere

Slater’s handling of the media in the lead up to the Origin decider was significantly better than his unfortunate press conference before game two where he offended the family of late Queensland coach Paul Green by dragging him into a bitter dispute with Aaron Woods. It was also far better than when he was schooled by Michael Maguire the year before in Origin.

It shows he is a smart man, and he is learning.

Phil the pain

Channel Nine expert commentator Phil Gould has a favourite saying that during the Origin series Queenslanders replace their heads with pumpkins. So the morning after the Origin decider his neighbour, Maroons great Mark Coyne, left him this present on his doorstep. We are not sure what Gus has done with it.

The pumpkin delivered by Mark Coyne to Phil Gould.

Vegas drama in past for Raiders pair

Hudson Young and Morgan Smithies may have had their differences in Las Vegas at the start of the season when they had a fight over a hotel room involving a plastic baseball bat, but Smithies was there to support a mate when he needed it on Wednesday night.

Hudson Young and Morgan Smithies (left) in the Blues sheds after Origin III.

Young and Smithies were deep in conversation in the NSW dressing room after a tough loss for the Blues. There was no sign of a bat or any hijinks either.

Gold Coast Shark net

Sharks and Queensland assistant coach Josh Hannay is being pitched to rival NRL clubs with an interesting twist: get in quick before he’s gone.

Hannay is being tipped as the leading contender to take over from Des Hasler at the Gold Coast, should Hasler be shown the door or retire.

Suddenly, Hannay is being offered to the likes of Newcastle and the Cowboys, despite both those clubs having coaches. They are being warned he won’t be on the market forever, so they better act quickly. Hannay has already had a taste of top-grade coaching at the Cowboys and Sharks.

The Titans have an excellent option in their own ranks – Brett White – who has worked with Australia, the Blues and the Raiders. So Hannay shouldn’t have it all his own way.

Gong ... and forgotten?

The Dragons celebrated their old boys day on Saturday with an emphasis on the joint venture’s only true moment of glory – the 2010 premiership win.

Wayne Bennett and the Dragons celebrate their drought-breaking premiership in 2010.Credit: Wolter Peeters

A number of key players did not attend, however, which is a concern for a club that has the title-rich St George as part of its make-up. Ben Hornby, the 2010 team’s skipper, was not there, which would always discourage others from going. Their star centres, Mark Gasnier and Matt Cooper, gave the occasion a miss, while the team’s spark, No.6 Jamie Soward, was a no-show as well.

The Dragons appear to have a good new CEO in Tim Watsford, and he has got more important things to worry about, but the 2010 team were trailblazers for the joint venture and their history is worth celebrating.

Roo believer

Speaking of former Dragons, ex-coach and star player Paul McGregor has been mentioned in the corridors of power when it comes to the vacant Australian job.

McGregor’s efforts at the Dragons are often underestimated, and no coach since has reached the levels that he achieved for the club. He certainly has potential in the representative arena, but McGregor’s name is also being linked to the Catalans job.

Half the story

The negative stories being run by a veteran News Corp hack about 19-year-old Lachlan Galvin need to stop.

Galvin joined the Bulldogs mid-season after an ugly falling out with Wests Tigers.

First it was suggested that Bulldogs captain Stephen Crichton would not welcome Galvin to Belmore because the young half and Jarome Luai – the Tigers’ star signing and Crichton’s long-time former Penrith teammate – did not get along. That was dismissed by Crichton after he took the time to hear Galvin’s side of his departure from the Tigers.

That story was at least in some way plausible, given there were dots that could be joined. But it underestimates the character of Crichton.

It was followed by the same journalist publishing a poll on social media that had the capacity to belittle Galvin during the Bulldogs’ clash with the Broncos last round. It asked fans to give Galvin a rating between four and seven out of 10, encouraging them to pile on the youngster.

Lachlan Galvin scores on debut for the Bulldogs.Credit: Getty Images

To the credit of the Bulldogs, media manager Darcie McDonald called it out and embarrassed the author into taking it down.

Galvin was recruited by Bulldogs general manager Phil Gould. The obsession with Gould is staggering. And never-ending. It must click well, because there is no other reason for the consistency with which Gould is targeted.

Gould and Galvin are also being held responsible for the departures of Reed Mahoney (who is off to the Cowboys) and Toby Sexton (who is joining Catalans in the UK-based Super League). Both will leave at the end of the season.

Reed Mahoney is leaving the Bulldogs.Credit: Getty Images

It is fair to say Sexton has been very solid for the Bulldogs, but they do not see long-term success with him as their No.7. You may recall Mitchell Pearce – a Blues halfback and long-term Roosters favourite – being told Cooper Cronk was coming to the Roosters. Pearce left to play at Newcastle, and Cronk steered the Roosters to back-to-back premierships. Pearce and Cronk are in a different league, but it’s an example of big clubs making big decisions.

Mahoney wanted an extension, but it was not in the Bulldogs’ plans. He has a nice long-term deal in place with North Queensland and can depart knowing he left Canterbury in a far better place.

Galvin didn’t play in last night’s clash against the Cowboys in Townsville, despite having been named in the 17 on Tuesday. In truth, he was never going to play, and instead watched the match from the coach’s box. This column was told the decision was part of Galvin’s development at Canterbury.

Howe and why

The stocks of the Perth Bears’ new recruitment boss Ezra Howe certainly rose in a hurry. The word out of the Gold Coast Titans is that he was a long way from a certainty to be in his job again next year before Mal Meninga showed interest and “lured” him west.

The Titans’ roster is horribly unbalanced with multiple halves and fullbacks, and some big-name forwards on huge deals.

Meninga, who spent time at the Titans, obviously has a high opinion of him and his role is absolutely crucial in establishing the expansion club.

The last person charged with such a big job was Peter O’Sullivan, who many regard as the best in the business when it comes to recruitment. O’Sullivan did a tremendous job working with Wayne Bennett in building the Dolphins from scratch.

O’Sullivan’s stocks have dipped at Newcastle, where their roster has been widely criticised, as has been their recruitment drive. The jury will be out on O’Sullivan at Newcastle until we all get to see what Dylan Brown can do when he is charged with being the main man in a football side.

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