Mal Meninga

Mal Meninga

Personal information
Full name	Malcolm Norman Meninga
Nickname	Big Mal, Chicken George
Born	8 July 1960 (1960-07-08) (age 51) Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia
Playing information
Height	182 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	116 kg (18 st 4 lb)
Position	Centre, Second-row
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1978–85	Souths (Brisbane)
1984–85	St Helens	31	28	8	0	128
1986–94	Canberra Raiders	166	74	283	2	864
	Total	197	102	291	2	992
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1979–94	Queensland	32	6	69	0	161
1982–94	Australia	46	21	96	0	272
Coaching information
Club
Years	Team	Gms	W	D	L	W%
1997–01	Canberra Raiders	125	66	2	57	53
Representative
Years	Team	Gms	W	D	L	W%
2006–	Queensland	18	13	0	5	72
Source: NRL Stats, SHS, RLP and Yesterday's Hero

Malcolm Norman Meninga AM (born 8 July 1960) is an Australian former rugby league test captain and current coach of Queensland's State of Origin team. As a player he was a legendary goal-kicking centre, counted amongst the finest footballers of the 20th century. He went on to coach for five seasons in the NRL with the Canberra Raiders and has been coach of Queensland's State of Origin team since 2006, having not yet lost a series.

Meninga broke numerous rugby league records during his playing career. He retired with the most appearances, and most points for the Australian rugby league team, and became the top-point scorer for Queensland in State of Origin history. Meninga has since been honoured as a Member of the Order of Australia, has been inducted into the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame and has also been named at centre in both Queensland's and Australia's rugby league teams of the century.

Early life

Born in Bundaberg, Queensland, Graduated from Maroochydore High School, Meninga is an Australian South Sea Islander, a descendant of plantation workers recruited or blackbirded to work in the Queensland sugar industry in the late 19th century. He is an official spokesperson for the South Sea Islander community.^[1] Before becoming a full-time professional footballer, Meninga was a police officer at West End Police Station, along with fellow Souths Magpies players Gary Belcher and Peter Jackson.^{[citation needed]}

Playing career

Brisbane

Meninga made his first grade debut in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership at the age of 18 with Souths Magpies. From there he was first selected to play centre for Queensland in 1979,^[2] and the following year helped his state to a win in rugby league's first ever State of Origin match against New South Wales, converting seven goals from seven attempts (Meninga was one of the last players to use the kicking style of punting the end of the football with the toe of the boot). Later that year he played in the Magpies' BRL Premiership grand final loss, scoring a try and kicking 3 goals. However, in 1981 Meninga again reached the grand final with Souths and won. The following year he was named man-of-the-match in Game 1 of 1982 State of Origin series and then played for Souths in the BRL Grand Final. Post season he toured Europe with the undefeated 1982 "Invincibles" Kangaroo squad, making his debut in the green & gold as Kangaroo No. 540.^[3]

St Helens

Mal Meninga became a Saint for their 1984-85 season. St Helens had paid around £30,000 for his services to play in the Australian off-season^[4] and he helped the club to victory in the RFL Premiership. Meninga didn't manage to serve a second spell at Knowsley Road, for a variety of reasons, not least being a succession of injuries that also punctuated his career for Canberra Raiders and Australia. Yet he remains a legendary figure in international rugby league, remembered for his formidable power, pace and handling ability.

Canberra

After many seasons and two (1981, 1985) premierships with the Magpies in the Brisbane League, in 1986, Meninga joined Souths teammate Gary Belcher at the Canberra Raiders, where they would play all of their New South Wales Rugby League premiership games. Meninga played in Canberra's loss to Manly in the 1987 Grand Final, kicking one goal. After being given the Raiders' captaincy, he led Canberra to their first premiership in 1989 after overcoming the highly fancied Balmain Tigers in the Grand Final. The following year Meninga led the Raiders to another grand final victory against the Penrith Panthers. He was also 1990's top try-scorer (getting five in the Round 5 match against Easts) and top-point scorer, and was named as Rugby League Week's player of the year. At the end of the 1990 NSWRL season, he went on the 1990 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France. Also that year, Meninga was named Britain's BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year, the first rugby league player to win it.

Big Mal captained Australia for 23 Test matches between 1990 and 1994,^[5] and captained the Queensland State of Origin team for three years from 1992 to 1994. He remains the only player to captain a Kangaroo Tour on two occasions, in 1990 and 1994.

On Australia Day 1994, Meninga was made a Member of the Order of Australia "for service to rugby league football". Later that year he played his last game for the Canberra Raiders in the 1994 Grand Final where he led his team to victory over the Canterbury Bulldogs and to their third premiership in six years, scoring the last try of the match.

At the end of the 1994 NSWRL season, he went on the 1994 Kangaroo tour. On 4 December 1994, at Béziers, France, he captained Australia to a 74–0 victory over the French, scoring the final try of the game, and of his career.

Post-playing

Following his retirement Mal Meninga openly supported the Super League concept during the Super League war of the mid-1990s.^[6] His popularity and playing record as a domestic and international captain were valuable in raising the profile of the rebel competition. In 1995 Meninga's book Mal Meninga: My Life in Football was published. He was appointed head coach of his old club, the Canberra Raiders in Australia's Super League season in 1997.

Political career

Meninga briefly campaigned for a seat in the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly during the Territory's 2001 general election. On Monday, 24 September 2001, just after he declared his candidancy for the the electorate of Molonglo,^[7] he pulled out mid-sentence, stating, "And the thing about that is, I guess, I was a public figure and I was put on the podium where I was just a person out there . . . I'm buggered, I'm sorry, I have to resign."^[8]

Subsequently, this incident led to the satirical Chaser team instituting the 'Mal Award' for their election television shows, presented to politicians "for the greatest act of political suicide during an election campaign".^[9] In an episode, which aired on 28 November 2007, Meninga satirized himself when he was brought in to present the award but "gave up" mid-speech.^{[citation needed]}

Coaching career

Canberra

Meninga was appointed coach of the Raiders in 1997, succeeding three time winner Tim Sheens, but achieved only moderate success. In 2000, Meninga was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for his contribution to Australia's international standing in rugby league. The following year, he received the Centenary Medal "for service as a role model and inspiration as a rugby league player of the highest standard". After Canberra failed to make the finals of the 2001 NRL season, finishing fourth-last (11th out of 14 teams), Matthew Elliott replaced Meninga as the Raiders coach.

In late 2002, Meninga expressed interest in the Queensland State of Origin team coaching job.^[10]

Meninga left Canberra and returned to Queensland in 2005, opening several successful businesses, including a fruit and vegetable wholesale business in the Brisbane Markets, and several Strathfield Car Sound outlets. In late 2005, he was announced as the new Queensland State of Origin coach, to replace Michael Hagan.

Queensland

Meninga made a successful debut as the Maroons coach in the 2006 State of Origin series, guiding Queensland to a 2–1 series victory, its first outright series victory since 2001 (this despite the fact Queensland lost the first match). Also in 2006, he coached the Prime Minister's XIII side to victory over the Papua New Guinea Kumuls.

Meninga attended the 2007 Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium as a guest of honour.^[11]

On 13 October 2006, Meninga was reappointed as coach of the Maroons for the 2007 State of Origin series and 2008 State of Origin series,^[12] both of which Queensland won, taking his record with the Maroons to three wins from three series. When Meninga was given a new contract after the 2008 series, he was quoted as saying: "I want to win six [State of Origin series] in a row".^[13]

In the 2009 series, Queensland won the first two games giving them a record fourth consecutive series win with captain Darren Lockyer saying Meninga now stands among the legends in State of Origin.^[14]

In December 2009, Meninga was named coach of the year at the Queensland Sports Awards.^[15]

In 2010, Meninga coached Queensland to a record 5th straight series win, and is now regarded as one of the greatest and most successful Origin coaches in history. He also coached them to their first "Clean Sweep" since 1995. As well as this, he is the only coach in Origin history to have never lost more than one Origin series.

In 2011, Meninga achieved his 6th straight series as coach of Queensland honoring a promise he made in 2008.^[16]

The weekend after Queensland won its sixth straight series, Mal Meninga penned a column in Brisbane's The Sunday Mail attacking the NSW media and match review panel, and labelling them "filth and rats"^[17] after he believed that they [the NSW media] had tried to sabotage his side's attempts at winning their sixth successive series by charging Johnathan Thurston and David Taylor with on-field incidents (only the latter was suspended) and also attacking NSW coach Ricky Stuart (the last man to win an Origin series for the Blues) over his decision not to reveal the Blues line-up up to one hour before kick-off (which is when the official team lists must be released prior to a match). He was set to face legal action from the NRL's match review panel over his now controversial column, but after negotiations with them on the 1st of August 2011, the matter was resolved. Meninga still maintains what he has written.

Records

• Only player to twice captain a Kangaroo Tour (1990 and 1994).
• Most points scored in Test matches for Australia (272 – 21 tries, 96 goals)
• Most goals kicked in Test matches for Australia (96)
• Most goals kicked in a State of Origin match for Queensland (7 in Game 1 1980), shared with Johnathan Thurston
• Most State of Origins won as coach in a row. 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 (6)

Honours

The main grandstand at Canberra Stadium is named the "Mal Meninga Stand" in his honour. The Canberra Raiders' player of the year receives the Mal Meninga Medal in his honour since 2008 and a statue of him has been placed behind the Mal Meninga grandstand next to the one of Laurie Daley.^[18]

In 2003, he was admitted into the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame.^[19]

In February 2008, Meninga was named in the list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players (1908–2007) which was commissioned by the NRL and ARL to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia.^[20][21] Meninga went on to be named as one of the centres, along with Reg Gasnier, in Australian rugby league's Team of the Century. Announced on 17 April 2008, the team is the panels' majority choice for each of the thirteen starting positions and four interchange players.^[22][23]

In June 2008, he was chosen in the Queensland Rugby League's Team of the Century at centre.^[24]

Further reading

• David Campese, Peter Jenkins, Mal Meninga, Peter Frilingos (1994). My game, your game. Ironbark. ISBN 033035616X, 9780330356169. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=qannPQAACAAJ&source=gbs_navlinks_s. 

References

1. ^ "Islanders' sporting prowess". Archived from the original on 1 September 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070901113255/http://www.premiers.qld.gov.au/apps/assi/history/sporting.htm. Retrieved 4 July 2007. 
2. ^ Toby Creswell and Samantha Trenoweth (2006). 1001 Australians You Should Know. Australia: Pluto Press. pp. 690. ISBN 1864033614, 9781864033618. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=QqtinbjO0oEC&vq=rugby&source=gbs_navlinks_s. 
3. ^ "Kangaroos players register". australianrugbyleague.com.au. Australian Rugby League. http://www.australianrugbyleague.com.au/kangaroos/register.php. Retrieved 16 October 2011. 
4. ^ "Meninga Saints Heritage Society". http://www.saints.org.uk/saints.org.uk/home/viewpage.php?page_id=10&num=15983. Retrieved 13 June 2007. 
5. ^ Hagan, Stephen (2006). Australia's Blackest Sporting Moments: The Top 100. Ngalga Warralu Publishing Pty Ltd. pp. 288. ISBN 1921212004, 9781921212000. http://books.google.com/books?id=hfKmwE5HGI4C&printsec=frontcover. 
6. ^ Headon, David (October 1999). "Up From the Ashes: The Phoenix of a Rugby League Literature" (pdf). Football Studies Volume 2, Issue 2. Football Studies Group. http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/FootballStudies/1999/FS0202i.pdf. Retrieved 7 July 2009. 
7. ^ "Mal Meninga expected to run as Molonglo Independent". ABC News online (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). 2001-09-24. http://www.abc.net.au/news/politics/2001/09/item20010923091147_1.htm. Retrieved 2010-09-03. 
8. ^ "Meninga sidesteps politics". The World Today (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). 2001-09-24. http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/stories/s374271.htm. Retrieved 2010-09-03. 
9. ^ "The Mal Award". The Chaser Decides (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). 2001. http://www.abc.net.au/tv/chaser/decides/malaward.htm. Retrieved 2010-09-03. 
10. ^ AAP Sports News (17 October 2002). "Meninga keen for Australian or Queensland coaching job". Australia. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-68793896.html. Retrieved 27 December 2009. 
11. ^ "Big Mal welcomes the squad". Saints. 23 August 2007. http://www.saintsrlfc.com/news/537. Retrieved 25 August 2007. 
12. ^ "Meninga stays with the Maroons". http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/200610/s1764540.htm. Retrieved 13 October 2006. ^{[dead link]}
13. ^ http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/rugby-league/state-of-origin/nsw-need-look-no-further-than-queensland-plan-20100618-ymqj.html NSW need look no further than Queensland plan - Brisbane Times
14. ^ "Meninga's Origin culture created history: Lockyer". http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/06/25/2607983.htm. Retrieved 25 June 2009. 
15. ^ deKroo, Karl (4 December 2009). "Wally Lewis says Maroons okay without Darren Lockyer". The Courier Mail (Australia: Queensland Newspapers). http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/sport/nrl/story/0,26746,26440752-5003409,00.html. Retrieved 5 December 2009. 
16. ^ http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/rugby-league/state-of-origin/nsw-need-look-no-further-than-queensland-plan-20100618-ymqj.html NSW need look no further than Queensland plan - Brisbane Times
17. ^ Meninga's fury at NSW 'rats and filth' - Sports News First
18. ^ Peter Fitzgerald (11 September 2008). "Mighty Mal makes monumental mark". The Canberra Times. http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/mighty-mal-makes-monumental-mark/1269404.aspx. Retrieved 11 September 2008. 
19. ^ Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame
20. ^ Peter Cassidy (23 February 2008). "Controversy reigns as NRL releases top 100 players". Macquarie National News. http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/2008/02/22/Controversy_reigns_as_NRL_releases_top_100_players. Retrieved 23 February 2008. 
21. ^ "Centenary of Rugby League – The Players". NRL & ARL. 23 February 2008. http://www.centenaryofrugbyleague.com.au/site/the-players.aspx?cat=3&list=true. Retrieved 23 February 2008. 
22. ^ Todd Balym (17 April 2008). "Johns, Meninga among Immortals". Fox Sports Australia. http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,23557351-23214,00.html. Retrieved 17 April 2008. 
23. ^ "Team of the Century Announced". NRL & ARL. 17 April 2008. http://www.centenaryofrugbyleague.com.au/site/news--reviews/media-releases/team-of-the-century-announced.aspx. Retrieved 17 April 2008. 
24. ^ Ricketts, Steve (10 June 2008). "Locky named No.1 but Wal's still King". The Courier-Mail. Archived from the original on 20 May 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.news.com.au%2Fcouriermail%2Fstory%2F0%2C23739%2C23843448-10389%2C00.html&date=2009-05-20. Retrieved 20 May 2009. 

External links

• Mal Meninga at the Former Origin Greats website.
• Mal Meninga at the State of Origin official website.
• Mal Meninga biography at Sport Australia Hall of Fame
• Mal Meninga at eraofthebiff.com
• Mal Meninga Biography
• Saints Heritage Society profile
• Rugby League's Mal Meninga at abc.net.au
• Queensland Team of the Century named – article at nz.leagueunlimited.com

Sporting positions
Preceded by Dean Lance	Canberra Raiders captain 1989–94	Succeeded by Ricky Stuart
Preceded by Tim Sheens 1988–1996	Coach Canberra Raiders 1997–2001	Succeeded by Matthew Elliott 2002–2006
Preceded by Michael Hagan 2004–2005	Coach Queensland State of Origin 2006–	Succeeded by incumbent

Persondata
Name	Meninga, Mal
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	8 July 1960
Place of birth	Bundaberg, Queensland
Date of death
Place of death