'It's going to make me cry': What Billy Slater told Cameron Munster in emotional Origin III embrace

It was a tear-jerking moment amid euphoric post-Origin III celebrations – the sight of Maroons coach Billy Slater embracing an emotional Cameron Munster.

Munster was playing in honour of his late father, Steven, who died the weekend before the match.

And he turned in a blinder as the Maroons sealed a fairytale come-from-behind series win.

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Speaking on Nine's The Sunday Footy Show, Slater said he went straight to Munster's room when he heard the news, and spent a significant chunk of time with him until he left camp. Slater's own father Ron died in January.

Slater recalled Munster told him barely minutes after arriving in the room he would "100 per cent" be playing in the decider to honour his old man, who had grown up a Maroons tragic.

Post-game, the pair embraced in the middle of Accor Stadium, and it was clear what Slater's support meant to the Maroons No.6.

Slater looked as if he was tearing up as vision was played on The Sunday Footy Show.

"It's going to make me cry ... I was just telling him how proud I was of him, how proud his dad would have been of him ... just showing him love, really," Slater said.

"I know how it feels when you lose someone so close to you, so there was that connection.

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"The other thing, what a great way to honour your dad and the connection that those two, Steven and Cameron, would have had through this footy team. As Cameron grew up, they would have sat down and watched this footy team together.

"The last moments of Steven's life, with Cameron playing in this team, as captain over in Perth and being man of the match ... that's so special.

"I'm sure there would be a whole heap of people who have lost loved ones that have been connected through this footy team. So not only did Cam honour his father through playing in this game and the way that he played, but also inspired people to think about their loved ones and the connection that they had ... through this football team.

"I was really proud of him. He would have been proud of his own performance, and boy, didn't his teammates stand up for him."

The pair spent Saturday together watching the Storm's win over Newcastle.

"He's going OK, but unfortunately when you go through these situations, time and life doesn't stop. For you it does, but for everyone else, it keeps rolling. It doesn't change now that the game is over. He's still lost his dad and he's still going to have to deal with that forever now."