Cameron McInnes may just be the most “rugby league” man alive.
The Cronulla cult hero’s increasingly disfigured melon caught even NRL greats by surprise when he stepped in front of the camera following the Sharks’ thumping win over the Raiders on Sunday.
The Sharks are on top of the table and look the real deal in 2024 and put Canberra to the sword in a 40-0 clinic.
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McInnes had plenty to smile about after the win and was happy to share a laugh with the star-studded panel on the Matty Johns Show on Fox League, straight after the win.
Before his interview with Johns, Brian Fletcher and Nathan Hindmarsh had even begun, McInnes apologised for his appearance.
The 30-year-old seemed unflustered by the missing front tooth, forehead stitches, black eye, dried blood and scratches that covered his face.
McInnes’ background issues with his teeth is something from a horror story. He has sported a fake front tooth for most of his career and revealed in 2018 he needs something like a complete mouth reconstruction, which he is waiting to have done at the end of his career.
The horror story theme continued in his interview on Sunday.
Host Johns briefly faltered in his interview introduction when first seeing McInnes’ face appear on screen.
The Knights great kept it together to get through his question with a smirk.
McInnes cut in to say with a grin: “Apologies for my appearance as well boys. I usually look better than this”.
Fletcher got straight to the point with his next question.
“I need to know. How many stitches have you had in your career?”
McInnes responded: “I’ve had five tonight already and I think I need a few more. It’s going well”.
Hindmarsh was brutal in his follow up comment, referencing Hollywood horror villain Chucky.
“Mate, you look like a Chucky doll. But, anyway, well done on today’s effort,” he said.
Johns later in the interview asked McInnes about reports that have linked him with a potential State of Origin debut this year.
McInnes was at the Rabbitohs when NSW State of Origin coach Michael Maguire led the club to the 2014 premiership and has widely been reported to be one of Maguire’s favourite players.
McInnes attended a pre-season camp alongside other NSW Origin hopefuls earlier this year.
“I was involved in that camp in January that was really good,” he said when asked if Maguire has reached out to him.
“It’s always a pleasure to be part of those things. You know what it’s like, you have to knuckle down for your club because they’re the ones who pay you. They need your all.”
NSW Origin legend Laurie Daley on Monday also pushed McInnes’ case to be selected in the side to face Queensland in the series opener on June 5.
“I think it’s the fact that he can play hooker,” Daley said on Sky Sports Radio.
“I think that brings him into the conversation. I picked him on my bench last year. I had him there because he can play hooker and cover the middle, rather than going with the two specialist hookers that NSW were toying with.
“I think he wouldn’t look out of place, put it that way.”