Slater sledges inspired Maroons to do it for Billy
Scott Bailey |
Cameron Munster has revealed how public criticism of Billy Slater galvanised Queensland, admitting he was personally hurt by jabs taken at his coach in the lead up to their State of Origin II victory.
Slater’s roller-coaster 42nd birthday ended with a 26-24 win on Wednesday night, 12 hours after he issued a public apology for a comment regarding the late Paul Green.
The win has set up a decider in Sydney on July 9, with life breathed back into a series that appeared destined to be won by NSW after their dominant game one.
Slater has come under fire from all quarters in the past three weeks, with Wednesday night always looming as a referendum on his decision to axe Daly Cherry-Evans.
Questions have also circled around Queensland’s performances and Slater’s own future, with no Maroons coach having ever kept the job after two straight series losses.
He was also labelled a “grub” by former NSW forward Aaron Woods, prompting his controversial response on Tuesday at an outdoor press conference in Perth’s CBD.
The criticism was also enough to spur on the Maroons, with Munster revealing how players wanted to stand up and play for the former Queensland fullback.
“When you have someone jabbing at him like that, it really hurts. It hurts me personally,” Munster said.
“And when someone’s having a jab at someone in your own backyard, you stand up on your back and want to get up and fight.
“We needed to do that tonight. We were backs against the wall, no-one gave us a chance.
“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.”
Munster himself was brilliant in the Maroons’ win, scoring a try and named man of the match after starring in Queensland’s 26-6 first-half.
But the new Queensland captain is well aware the Maroons must be much better in Sydney, after letting NSW back into the game after the break and ending with four tries to their five.
Regardless, Munster said the criticism of Slater for the Maroons’ 18-6 series-opening loss at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane last month was unwarranted.
“He’s our coach, and he’s done everything he can to tick the boxes for us, and we didn’t perform for him in game one,” Munster said.
“He got a lot of slack for it, and a lot of stuff in the media, and he didn’t deserve it.
“He’s given us a great game plan, and we didn’t execute in game one, and we did it tonight in the first half.
“I played with Bill, he’s a champion player and champion coach, and I’ve had a great relationship with him, and still do.”
Munster also revealed the Maroons had invoked the spirit of 1995 in the lead up to the game, with the 30-year anniversary of Paul Vautin’s unlikely 3-0 series win during the Super League war.
The Queensland No.6 referenced the 1995 series on field after the game, before again raising it in the press conference.
“We keep talking about it,” Munster said.
“They won by two points in a couple of those games in the series, and we won by two tonight. It was that ’95 mentality in defence.
“We’ve just got to keep working hard for each other. It’s going to be a harder task going to Sydney, and we’ve got to be ready for it.
“We can’t afford to be ambushed.”
AAP
