Returning to the Westpac NSW Blues team after a lengthy injury has been a shining light for what has been a gloomy year at times for South Sydney skipper Cameron Murray.
Firstly the Rabbitohs win only one of their first nine NRL games, which results in the departure of coach Jason Demetriou.
Then Murray sustains a hip flexor injury in early May that needed a six-to-eight week recovery.
He returned for the Rabbitohs in Round 15 after five matches but missed Game One of the Ampol State of Origin on 5 June because the injury wasn’t quite right.
“No one could have predicted the way the year has gone so far but you always learn the most in the darkest of times,” Murray told nswrl.com.au
The 26-year-old, who has played 14 Origin games since his debut in Game One 2019, said he said he gave no thought to trying to speed up his recovery to give himself a shot at the opening match in Sydney.
“I was obviously piggybacking off the advice I got from the medical staff at our club.
“They gave me that six-to-eight week time frame so I just made sure I was ticking all the boxes to get back as soon as I could – not just for Origin, I just wanted to get back to club-land.
“We were struggling a bit and it was hard to watch. I just wanted to be in the trenches with the boys and fight our way out of it.”
Strong wins in Round 14 (over Gold Coast Titans) and Round 15 (Brisbane Broncos) have turned things around.
“The last couple of weeks the club has been going really good, so I’ve just learned to roll with the punches,” Murray said.
“We’ve started to hit our straps back there in club-land.”
He is hoping the same goes for Game Two in Melbourne on Wednesday 26 June and he gets to chase that goal with Rabbitohs teammate Latrell Mitchell.
“I’m hoping to channel some of that good positive energy (into Origin). I’m really happy Latrell and me can put the Sky Blues jersey on again because we both love playing for our state.”
Murray is no stranger to injury around Origin time. He had a groin complaint last year and a neck injury the year before.
“I’ve found if you don’t over-think it, and just do the rehab work well, things will fall back into place.”
And Murray is back to what he feels is his best position – lock. He has started in the second row in five Origins and come off the bench to an edge on other occasions.
“I love lock – it’s my position, it’s what I know best, and what I feel most comfortable in.
“There’s a little less thinking and more instinctual play for me. It’s a more simple preparation for me so I’m excited to be back in the middle.”
