'Two or three beers in': Slater's hilarious reveal

2 years ago 97

Billy Slater has fixed an penetration into past year's Queensland State of Origin camp erstwhile prima duo Cameron Munster and Murray Taulagi were ruled retired of the decider with COVID-19.

Slater's hopes of a bid triumph successful his coaching debut looked to person been dealt a monolithic stroke when Munster and Taulagi contracted the virus, earlier the undermanned Maroons claimed a 22-12 triumph astatine Suncorp Stadium.

The Maroons manager was 1 of the archetypal to find retired that Munster had tested positive, and revealed however testers thought the Storm prima had played a prank connected them.

"We had a marquee, it was our ain small squad marquee and I went successful determination and determination was lone a mates of america successful there, and Cameron Munster was 1 of the guys," helium recalled connected Wide World of Sports' Billy Slater Podcast.

"Munster had conscionable tested and they were waiting for his results and we were conscionable having immoderate lunch.

"The NRL protocol feline that was investigating each the boys thought that Cameron Munster was playing a instrumentality connected him, thought he'd conscionable drawn different enactment connected the COVID test.

"He showed him and Munster's conscionable froze and I've conscionable gone, 'Wow, is this truly happening?'.

"He did different trial consecutive distant that came backmost affirmative arsenic good and from determination we fundamentally locked everyone successful their rooms."

Munster would beryllium replaced by Cowboys youngster Tom Dearden, and Slater said determination was "no hesitation" successful picking the 21-year-old to marque his Origin debut.

"I inactive retrieve going up and knocking connected Tom Dearden's doorway and helium opened the door," Slater said.

"I said, 'Cameron's not playing and you're going to play your archetypal Origin for Queensland', and similar astir Queensland kids, you could conscionable spot the world of a imagination travel existent for Tom.

"I inactive retrieve the look successful his eye, helium looked consecutive backmost astatine maine and said, 'I won't fto you down', and it gives maine goosebumps present telling the story.

"A young feline that not that agelong agone was connected the outer astatine a nine and went to a caller nine and stuck it up, you could truly spot that warring tone successful Tommy.

"It was a large acquisition for maine arsenic a manager to present that quality to him and for him to beryllium determination and springiness maine that overmuch assurance that I had not 1 interest successful the world, and his teammates didn't person a interest either.

"We knew what we were losing successful Cameron Munster, but we surely weren't acrophobic with what we were getting successful Tom Dearden and helium surely delivered."

Munster's affirmative trial was soon followed by 1 from Taulagi, and Slater said determination was contiguous interest implicit "how acold this was going to go".

Taulagi was replaced successful the line-up by seasoned winger Corey Oates, who Slater revealed a hilarious communicative about.

"We didn't truly person a feline acceptable to travel successful (to regenerate Taulagi)," the Maroons manager recalled.

"Hamiso (Tabuai-Fidow) really had a caput wounded truthful helium didn't travel into campy three, truthful we really had to telephone an older subordinate successful Corey Oates.

"Corey was astir 2 oregon 3 beers successful having a chat with his neighbour implicit the fence.

Hunt charge-down intercept wins Origin for Queensland

"We each knew with Corey Oates, he'd been there, he'd done it earlier and it was concern arsenic accustomed the adjacent time erstwhile we got backmost connected the grooming field."

Slater and his squad past went down successful Queensland Origin folklore arsenic tries to Valentine Holmes, Kurt Capewell, Kalyn Ponga and Ben Hunt sealed a celebrated bid win.

Click present to perceive to the afloat occurrence of The Billy Slater Podcast

"That adversity that we had to spell through, that truly resonated with the radical of Queensland," the Queensland manager said.

This year's State of Origin bid volition get underway connected May 31 astatine the Adelaide Oval, earlier wrapping up astatine Sydney's Stadium Australia connected July 12.

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