Emotional Tino to dig deep for Maroons – and a grieving Munster

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Tears cascaded down Tino Fa’asuamaleaui’s face, his eyes gleaming in the stadium lights, as the national anthem was sung to launch State of Origin 2025.

About a year before he watched from the sidelines, recovering from a ruptured ACL, as Queensland suffered a series defeat.

Now, the softly spoken enforcer was back where he belonged.

“I love this state, everybody probably saw that in game one,” Fa’asuamaleaui said before the decider in Sydney.

Tino Fa’asuamaleaui became emotional as the national anthem was sung upon his State of Origin return.

“In game two, having that under control a bit more, it was still another rollercoaster. There were a few things that didn’t go the way I wanted, but that’s what the journey of Origin is about, and football – and even life.”

Such was his determination to announce his comeback in full flight, Fa’asuamaleaui ventured to the US and worked with renowned conditioning expert Bill Knowles.

Even throughout the season, the 25-year-old felt below his athletic best.

“That’s the rollercoaster. At the start of the year, I was still finding my lunges, and still finding the way things move on the field,” he said.

“I think I’m just starting to get that, especially in defence and the whole contact thing, and all the little technical things and movements on the field that people don’t see.

“I’m starting to get that again – and it’s come at the right time.”

While the series is locked at one win apiece, Fa’asuamaleaui has been unable to attain the standards he has set at club level.

Tino Fa’asuamaleaui cuts a dejected figure after the Maroons’ game one defeat.

In Perth, he was targeted heavily by his Blues rivals and ran for just 58 metres (his previous lowest for the year was 111 metres in his last appearance for the Titans), while making two errors.

In contrast, his Blues counterpart, Payne Haas, has been emphatic, averaging 149 running metres and 32.5 tackles (for no misses) to lay the platform for a NSW attack that has resulted in nine tries to the Maroons’ five.

“There were the heights of winning that game, but looking back on the performance, there were a few errors everyone was probably speaking about,” Fa’asuamaleaui said.

“But that’s football. If I could go back, I would change that, but you know what? Things happen, and I’m doing everything right to get my job right.”

Having been a talismanic leader for a struggling Gold Coast side, Fa’asuamaleaui went into game two as a captaincy candidate following Daly Cherry-Evans’ axing – joined by fellow club leaders Harry Grant, Kalyn Ponga, Tom Dearden and Reuben Cotter.

But while the job ultimately went to Cameron Munster, coach Billy Slater stressed his contingent of leaders were all rising to support the five-eighth, following the tragic death of Munster’s father at the weekend.

Slater confirmed Munster would play as captain on Wednesday, having returned home to be with his mother and sister, and such was the Melbourne star’s insistence on playing, no contingency was considered.

“Cam’s an inspiration to many people – he’s a hero to many people in Queensland – and I can only imagine his dad would have been his first inspiration and his first hero,” said Slater, who lost his own father in January.

“The group has been amazing. Although they were emotional and feeling for their mate on Sunday, they trained quite well. At the end of the day, their skipper is going to need them.”