Queensland skipper Cameron Munster has leapt to the defence of Billy Slater, admitting the criticism and personal attacks against the Maroons coach galvanised him and his team in game two.
Slater was at the centre of a tumultuous 48 hours for the Maroons after the coach took aim at former Kangaroos teammate Aaron Woods after he called him a grub on Sydney breakfast radio a week earlier.
Slater’s attempted take down of Woods was overshadowed by him referencing the late Paul Green and was forced to call an impromptu press conference on the morning of Origin II to issue a heartfelt apology to Green’s family for the offence he may have caused them by dragging him into the war-of-words.
Munster said the situation surrounding Slater, compounded by criticism of his coaching and selection from the opening game of the series, triggered a reaction from him and his teammates on the field in Perth on Wednesday night.
“When you get jabs or blokes in the media having a go at your coach … At the end of the day, he’s our coach and he’s done everything he can and ticked the boxes for us,” Munster said.
“We didn’t perform for him in game one and he got a lot of slack for it and a lot of stuff in the media and didn’t deserve it. I played with Bill. He’s a champion player and champion coach. I’ve had a great relationship with him and still do and we’re really close mates. When you have someone jabbing at him like that, it really hurts. It hurt me personally.
Queensland captain Cameron Munster celebrates victory at full-time.Credit: Getty Images
“I don’t ever tell him that, but I’m probably telling him now. I love him, and I just want to do the best thing for Queensland and the best thing for him, because he’s not doing this for him. He’s doing it for Queensland, and he loves Queensland and that’s a reason why he’s so passionate.
“When you have someone like that at the helm, you just want to play for him. At the end of the day, I just love playing for Queensland and he’s the reason why I want to play.”
Slater was quite taken aback by Munster’s comments in the post-match press conference, showing a deeper side to one of the game’s biggest larrikins.
Despite the criticism he has received over the past week, Slater said he was comfortable in his own shoes and reflected on the Queensland spirit that saw his players rally around him.
Billy Slater sitting next to Cameron Munster at the press conference where he returned serve against Aaron Woods.Credit: Getty Images
“Yeah that’s the nicest thing he’s ever said to me,” Slater said about Munster’s comments.
“Look, I know the game. I’m in the game. I understand it. Sometimes things get pushed to the boundary, but it hasn’t influenced how I look at myself and I who I am as a person. I’m very comfortable with who I am, I know who I am.
“I know who these guys are and there’s been a real togetherness about the group. Everyone’s a member of this footy team, and that’s what Queenslanders do. They do it together, and I’m not talking disrespectful to any other states, but when something happens they all pull together and look after each other. Whether it’s a flood or a cyclone or a bushfire, they all pull together and help each other out.”
Munster took over the captaincy from Daly Cherry-Evans on Wednesday night, putting a five-star performance to repay the faith shown in him by his former Melbourne Storm teammate.
He admitted he didn’t feel the need to speak to his players about Slater because they all knew that their coach needed him to have his back.
“The boys would have seen it on their phones or in the media,” Munster said.
“Whatever it was, at the end of the day, when someone’s having a jab at someone from your own backyard, you stand up off your back and want to get up and fight. We were backs against the wall.
“No one gave us a chance and when you have guys nitpicking and jabbing at your coach, it’s not him. It’s the players who go out there. He’s given us a great game plan and we didn’t execute that in game one. We did it tonight in the first half.”
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