Dally M leader Cameron Munster has opened up about his battles with the bottle and how he wants to transform from a “drunken clown” to NRL role model.
The Melbourne Storm star admits he felt invincible after winning a premiership, and debuting for Queensland and Australia before Test coach Mal Meninga sent him packing from a Kangaroos camp in 2017.
“At that time, I felt like I was on cloud nine and could not get into any trouble,” Munster told League Life on Fox Sports.
“I got too intoxicated and decided to act like a clown.
“I woke up and had a big conversation with Mal.
“It wasn’t a pleasant conversation, but that was the conversation I needed to have to wake up and realise how lucky I am to be in this game.”
Now Munster craves to be like his Storm captain Cameron Smith and retired former Maroons State of Orign teammate Johnathan Thurston and inspire a new generation of rugby league talent.
He’s made a decent enough start.
After upstaging Smith to be crowned Melbourne’s player of the year in 2018, as well as win the NRL’s Dally M five-eighth of the year award, Munster has been the main man behind the Storm’s undefeated start to 2019.
The 24-year-old is exactly where he always wanted to be growing up in Rockhampton.
Back then, Munster felt untouchable.
“Coming from a regional town, I knew everyone in the town, I could just drink and be my larrikin self and not have consequences,” he said.
“That was just me being a larrikin and just doing silly things, and I was always trusting and open to everyone when I was out and it didn’t really bother me who was around.
“It got me in sticky situations at times and I made the wrong decision.
“Everyone makes mistakes but, at times, you need to obviously realise your mistakes and change, and I feel like I’ve done that at times.”
At times.
Munster knows he has a way to go and is indebted to Storm coach Craig Bellamy and psychologist Jackie Lauder for sticking by him during his “rollercoaster” and meteoric rise to stardom.
“With the pressure, obviously comes responsibility when you’re getting paid some good, decent coin that you’ve got to play some decent, consistent footy,” he said.
“At times, my best and funnest (sic) times weren’t on the field. I felt like I was always happy when I was drinking alcohol and I felt that was my high.
“That’s not an ideal situation when you’re feeling like that and I’m OK to talk about it.
“You don’t want to be that kind of kid, where you hate going to training footy and hate playing footy, especially when you’re playing a dream sport like the NRL.”