Warning: Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people are advised this article contains the name and image of a deceased Aboriginal person.
Tyrone Munro will dedicate his first Indigenous All Stars jersey to his late mother, who “is always looking down on me, and will have tears of joy in her eyes”.
Munro played for South Sydney in round 26 last year despite the death of his mother, Kirawhan Fernando, that week, and the death of his uncle, Raymond ‘Dunka’ Caldwell, on game day.
Playing with a heavy heart, Munro scored two tries that night, and the emotional scenes later earned him the NRL’s Provan-Summons Medal, which is awarded to the player judged to have displayed the true spirit of the game.
Silence fell across the room on Dally M night as Munro collected the prize and spoke about the double loss.
“This year has been the hardest of my 19 years,” Munro said. “The recent loss of my mother and uncle. Their strength and love have shaped who I am, and their memory fuels my determination every time I step onto that field.
Tyrone Munro with family, friends and Souths fans after the match against Penrith last year.Credit: NRL Photos
“I want to dedicate this award to my mum, Kirawhan, who made me the man I am today and taught me that nothing is given to you – you have got to earn it in this life.”
Munro told this masthead on Tuesday he thought about his mother every day, and could imagine her reaction after he was named to take on the Maori All Stars on Saturday at CommBank Stadium.
The Gomeroi man, who was born in Moree but grew up in the inner west suburb of Glebe, said: “There will be tears of joy in her eyes. She’d be a very proud mother, I know she’s looking down on me, and is always with me.
“I’ll always be strong for her and my family. The jersey I play in [on Saturday] will be dedicated to my mum and my culture and my family this week.
Tyrone Munro attends the All Stars welcome event in Parramatta.Credit: Sam Mooy/SMH
“I think about her every day. I think about her every night before I go to sleep. She’s always on my mind. The reason I get up is for my mum. I want to make her proud and keep putting tears of joy in her eyes up above.”
Munro took to Instagram at the time and posted about his mother: “Losing a mother is a pain that cannot be described in words. It is virtually impossible to move on from the memory of losing the woman who sacrificed happiness in her own life so that you could have a better one. A mother’s love is truly irreplaceable.”
Munro said she loved her rugby league and was known for cooking “a very good potato bake”.
The youngster has been training on the left wing outside Jack Wighton at Souths all summer, with Wighton hopeful the same combination will line up for the Indigenous team.
“‘Ty Ty’ is an exceptional young fella, we had a chat on Monday night, and you could hear it in his voice how proud he was – he understands who he is representing and it’s beautiful to see,” Wighton said.
“I love him and have a lot of time for him, and he’s earned that respect through his actions. Hopefully we can have a big year together.”
Munro and Wighton are among five Souths players in the Indigenous side, which also included Tallis Duncan, Shaq Mitchell and Jayden Sullivan.
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