He brought the world of rugby league to tears. Now he’s playing for Mum

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Warning: Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people are advised this article contains the name and image of a person who has passed away.

Tyrone Munro will dedicate his first Indigenous All Stars jersey to his late mother, who "is always looking down on me, and will have tears of joy in her eyes".

Last year, despite the passing of his mother, Kirawhan Fernando, and his uncle, Raymond 'Dunka' Caldwell, just that week, on game day.

Playing with a heavy heart, Munro scored two tries that night, and the emotional scenes that followed earned him the NRL's Provan-Summons Medal, which is awarded to the player who's shown the true spirit of the game.

Silence fell over the room on Dally M night as Munro collected the award and spoke about the double setback.

This year's been the toughest of me 19 years so far," Munro said. "The loss of me mum and uncle recently. Their strength and love've shaped who I am, and their memory keeps driving me on every time I step onto the footy field.

“Fair dinkum, I want to dedicate this award to me mum, Kirawhan, who made me the bloke I am today and taught me that nothing is handed to you on a platter – you've got to earn it in this life.”

Munro told this masthead on Tuesday he thought about his mum every day, and could picture her reaction after he was named to take on the Maori All Stars on Saturday at CommBank Stadium.

The Gomeroi bloke, who was born in Moree but grew up in Glebe, said: “There'll be tears of joy in her eyes. She'd be a right proud mum, I know she's lookin' down on me, and is always with me.”

I'll always be strong for her and my family. The jersey I'll be wearing on Saturday will be dedicated to my mum and my culture, and my family this week, I reckon.

“Fair dinkum, I think about her every day. I think about her every night before I head off to bed. She’s always on my mind. The reason I get up in the morning is for my mum. I want to make her proud and keep seeing tears of joy in her eyes up above.”

Munro shared a post on Instagram about his mum: “Losing a mother is a pain that can't be put into words. It's almost impossible to get over the memory of the woman who put your happiness ahead of her own so you could have a better life. A mother's love is truly irreplaceable.”

Munro said she was a big fan of rugby league and was renowned for whippin' up a ripper of a potato bake.

The young bloke's been training on the left wing alongside Jack Wighton at Souths all summer, with Wighton hopeful the same combo will come together for the Indigenous team.

“Ty Ty’s a real stand-out bloke, we had a yarn on Monday night, and you could hear the pride in his voice – he knows exactly who he's reppin' and it's fair dinkum beautiful to see,” Wighton said.

“I’ve got a lot of time for him and I really love the bloke, and he’s earned my respect through the way he’s gone about things. Fingers crossed we can have a cracking year together.”

Munro and Wighton are among five Souths players in the Indigenous team, along with Tallis Duncan, Shaq Mitchell and Jayden Sullivan.

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