Cameron Munster has just about done it all in his stellar career but one thing that eludes him is a win with Queensland in game two of a State of Origin series.
The 28-year-old Maroons No.6 aims to put that statistic to bed in Origin II at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night.
His record so far is five appearances in game two and five losses.
Munster, who will play his 17th Origin match, has been involved in three series wins for the Maroons and has been masterful in game one and game three of those wins.
He was Wally Lewis Medal winner as player of the series in 2020 and has been man of the match twice – in the decider in 2020 and in game one last year.
The 2021 World Cup winner and two-time Melbourne premiership victor wants to add to that success.
“I’ve won every game I’ve played (for Queensland) at Suncorp bar one,” Munster said.
” I don’t mind Suncorp so hopefully I can go out there and rewrite history and prove all the critics wrong and that I’m not just a game one or game three player.
“(NSW) are pretty much playing their grand final when you think about it. I really want to make sure I can go 2-nil up in a series.That is something I’ve never had before.
“We don’t want to put pressure on ourselves in game three (in Sydney) in front of a hostile crowd.”
Last year Munster had COVID and missed the series decider at Suncorp Stadium. He watched the Maroons’ 22-12 win on his phone in isolation in an Airbnb on the Sunshine Coast.
“I was pretty much screaming at the (screen) because the Airbnb wifi wasn’t working,” Munster grinned.
“It was cutting in and out so I missed the first 10 or 15 minutes when Selwyn (Cobbo) and Lindsay (Collins) got knocked out.
“I was watching the feed on my Facebook and Instagram with blokes getting knocked out left, right and centre.
“Then the (wifi) kicked in. I wondered what the hell was going on. We had blokes in different positions but it just goes to show that (coach) Billy (Slater) and the coaching staff are very smart. They put players in position at training so they can take their opportunity.”
The sadness of missing the game dissipated at full-time.
“I was filled with joy. It would have been nice to play but if I did play we probably would have lost by 30,” Munster said.
” Tommy Dearden got his debut (in Munster’s No.6 position) and played really well. He was probably the best on ground. For his debut I thought he really stood up for the team.
“I was so happy for the team. Even though I was crook I just wanted us to win. That is the best thing about our team. Regardless of who is picked we all want the best.”