Whatever seemed the most prescient storyline heading into State of Origin III quickly took a back seat when news dropped from the Queensland camp that Covid-19 had struck, with star five-eighth Cameron Munster and winger Murray Taulagi testing positive and forced to miss the decider.
As important to the 2022 team as Wally Lewis was to the Maroons sides of the early 1980s, Munster’s forced absence is the worst possible news for rookie coach Billy Slater and the Queensland faithful who had attached their wagon to his horse for the all-important game three. The loss of is a hammer blow to Queensland’s chances, seen no more acutely than in the betting line that moved an astonishing six points in favour of New South Wales as soon as his withdrawal became public knowledge.
