Munster and Grant rock Maroons fan day in Rockhampton
- FOGS
- 18 hours ago
- 5 min read
Cameron Munster and Harry Grant were the star attractions in Rockhampton for the Queensland team’s annual fan day, both honouring the stellar job the region has done in producing Maroons over many years.
On June 30, ahead of the State of Origin decider in Brisbane, the Maroons visited the Central Queensland hub to train and meet thousands of the fans at the newly-upgraded Browne Park, now known as Aurizon Stadium.
“I’ve had some really good memories here,” Munster said.
“It’s a great venue, it’s been a great nursery for kids who have come through – Ben Hunt, Matt Scott, Harry Grant, myself – and it’s only going to get bigger.
“You look at the Central Queensland region and think of Reuben Cotter from Sarina and Daly Cherry-Evans from Mackay.
Rockhampton is where Maroons legend Jason Hetherington was born and coached Munster when he was a rising star for the CQ Capras.
"It is special when you think it is the home town of Cameron Munster, our Queensland captain," Hetherington said.
"It is fantastic for the region, I guarantee you. We used to travel three or four hours one-way to play under eights so the fans have travelled from far and wide to see their heroes."
Munster played his junior footy for North Knights and attended Emmaus College. In his early years with the Capras under Hetherington he announced himself as an emerging star. He also learned some lessons, like when old-school Hetherington threatened to rip his earrings out with a pair of plyers if he didn’t remove them.
"It's been a while since I've had someone tell me to take my earrings out,” Munster grinned.
“He was a hard, stern man and he moulded me into the player he wanted me to become.
"I was probably a little fluffy at times with rugby league and he made me tougher than I used to be.”
Grant is now an 80-minute Origin hooker for Queensland and he credits applying the wisdom of his schoolboy coach Terry Hansen at St Brendan’s College in Yeppoon, near Rockhampton, for his progress after starting his Origin career on the bench.
It is an old Hansen saying that has stuck with him.
"He had a good quote in school that was. 'if you do what you've always done, you will get what you always got'," Grant said.
"It is about always pushing the boundaries to try and evolve your game, training hard and don't stay within yourself. Understanding that (ideology) was a good one to go by."
Grant said he was always thrilled to return to where it all began.
“As a kid in Central Queensland all I wanted to do was play for the Maroons so it’s great to come back here. It brings back some good memories,” he said.
“It is good to give back to the community and inspire some of the next generation. I’d like to think I have never lost sight of why we are playing and who we are playing for.
Hetherington, a former assistant coach with the Maroons as well as a wonderful hooker in eight Origin appearances for Queensland, is full of pride in the current squad.
Munster holds a special place in his heart.
"I have always been proud of Cameron, but last year in particular. He dominated game two in Perth and did a great job in the decider in the most difficult of circumstances,” he said.
"He showed leadership, which is what we have come to expect from him."
Munster's dear father Steve passed away while he was in camp with the side ahead of the decider in Sydney.
He went home to mourn with his family before leading the Maroons to a magnificent 24-12 win.
The current Maroons spine has a real CQ connection.
"Harry Grant is another Rocky lad who was great in last year's series. He really picked it up after game one," Hetherington said.
"Then he won the Golden Boot, another great recognition for Central Queensland.
"Before I was in the Queensland under 12 side I would come from Baralaba to Rocky and I'd be billeted with Harry's grandparents ... Mr and Mrs Wakeman.”
There is no doubt that the Central Queensland region has punched above its weight in terms of producing Maroons.
"When I was on Maroons staff with Mal Meninga there was a point there where one third of the Queensland team was from Central Queensland," Hetherington said.
"We had guys like Cameron Munster, Ben Hunt, Corey Oates, Dave Taylor, Matt Scott, Dane Gagai and we claimed Daly Cherry-Evans with his Mackay connections.
Hetherington said the local schools such as powerhouse St Brendan's College, Emmaus College and The Cathedral College in Rockhampton were all playing a key role in bringing players through.
Rockhampton and the surrounding region was home to so many Maroons.
The list is long and includes Rod Reddy, Matt Sing, Rhys Wesser, Dave Taylor, John Doyle, Corey Oates, Ben Hunt, Matt Scott, Munster and Grant.
"When I was involved in the CQ NRL bid with the late Geoff Murphy I had a list of all the players from the Central Queensland region that went on to bigger things,” Hetherington said.
"It filled pages and pages."
Munster was a late bloomer in some respects but Hetherington was well aware of his talents.
"When I coached the CQ Capras we lost a lot of our top kids that were coming through to the NYC program," Hetherington said.
"So my task was to bring through the kids from the next tier and that's where Cameron had slipped through the net.
"I gave him a real good crack at playing first grade and the rest is history. He was playing with the younger Capras with my nephew at the Sunshine Coast when I was sitting next to his dad Steve.
"I didn't know Cameron then but Steve said, ‘that's my young fella'. I said, 'he can play footy'. It was the following year that I brought him up into the top squad."
The qualities that stand out now were apparent then.
"It was just the way he handled the footy. They were putting towering bombs up that went above the lights and you couldn't even hear them hit his hands,” Hetherington said.
“He was a good passer of the football. He wasn't electric quick but he had a nice step and a fend. He was a natural but I felt he had to be in a strong organisation to get the best out of him.
"I did a bit of ringing around to try and get him a start and then got hold of Bunny (Storm recruitment chief Paul Bunn).
"I thought Melbourne would suit him, away from everyone. I knew Billy Slater would mentor him, because he was a fullback back then, and he would be under Craig Bellamy's watch and Cameron Smith's control and discipline.
“With his character I just thought he needed that. What he has done since is just incredible."
