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Immortal

Mal Meninga

Centre

Player Bio

Honoured:
2018
Date of Birth:
08 July 1960
Birthplace:
Bundaberg, QLD
Nickname:
-
Debut Team:
Southern Suburbs
Date:
18 February 1979
Opposition:
Brothers
Venue:
Davies Park, South Brisbane
Representative:
Combined Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Clubs:
Souths Brisbane, St Helens, Canberra Raiders

Career

Milestones

  • Premierships: 1981, 1985, 1989-90, 1994
  • Kangaroo Tours: 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994
  • Australian captain: 24 Tests
  • Dally M Centre of the Year: 1990, 1991
  • Rugby League Week Player of the Year: 1990
  • Golden Boot award: 1989
  • Australian Rugby League Team of the Century: 2008
  • Queensland Team of the Century: 2008
  • Rated No. 13 in Rugby League Week’s Top 100 players: 1992
  • Named in NRL Team of the 1980s: 2004
  • Named in NRL Team of the 1990s: 2003
  • Immortal: 2018

Playing

First Class Games
517
Points
3255
Tries
291

Biography

Mal Meninga's endless list of records and achievements stands as a testament to the strength and perseverance he displayed over a magnificent 17-year career in top level football.

The former police cadet burst onto the scene with Souths in Brisbane in 1978 and was a Queensland representative the following season and in the Australian team soon after his 22nd birthday.

Meninga had been blessed with size and strength and used those qualities to their fullest. He is the only player to tour four times with the Kangaroos and the only player to make two Kangaroo tours as captain.

And he achieved much of this after he withstood the pain and frustration of four broken arms during the 1987–88 seasons.

Meninga recovered from the setbacks as a more mature and more consistent player.

''The true test of a champion is not just what he does as an individual,'' said Bob Fulton of Meninga. ''It's what he does for the players around him''.

Meninga was renowned for charges through the defence as he captained Canberra to three premierships.

Perhaps his most memorable performance came at Old Trafford in 1990, when he helped Australia to salvage the Ashes with a barnstorming try in the final minutes of the second Test.

“The qualities of a champion are pride, discipline and character to fight back. Mal has continually shown them all.”

Wayne Bennett Coach

Mal Meninga - Immortal

Career Stats

Club Career

Club
Team Name Competition Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
Southern Suburbs Brisbane Brisbane Club Competition 1979 1985 108 77 313 - 889
Southern Suburbs Brisbane Official Pre-Season 1979 1984 25 12 70 - 177
Southern Suburbs Brisbane State League 1982 1985 21 18 46 - 151
Southern Suburbs Brisbane President's Cup 1980 1980 1 1 2 - 7
St Helens England First Class Games 1984 1985 31 28 8 - 128
Canberra Raiders Premiership 1986 1994 166 74 283 2 864
Canberra Raiders Mid-Week Competitions 1986 1987 3 1 6 - 15
Canberra Raiders World Club Challenge 1989 1989 1 1 - - 4
Canberra Raiders Official Pre-Season
1990
1993
1991
1994
12 2 14 - 36

Representative Career

Intercity

Intercity
Team Name Competition Opponent Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
Combined Brisbane Mid-Week Competitions 1979 1984 15 3 43 - 97
Combined Brisbane Touring Sides 1979 1979 1 - - - -
Combined Brisbane Newcastle 1981 1981 1 - 5 - 10
Brisbane City Queensland Country 1979 1981 3 5 14 - 43

State

State
Team Name Competition Opponent Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
Queensland Interstate Series New South Wales 1979 1981 6 3 9 - 27
Queensland State of Origin New South Wales
1980
1989
1986
1994
32 6 69 - 161
Queensland Touring Sides
1982
1984
1982
1984
2 2 10 - 27
Queensland Tour Matches 1983 1983 2 3 8 - 28

International

International
Team Name Competition Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
Australia Tests and World Cup
1982
1988
1986
1994
46 21 99 - 278
Australia Tour Matches
1982
1985
1988
1990
1994
1982
1986
1988
1992
1994
37 29 79 - 267
Australia Rest of the World 1988 1988 1 - 3 - 6

Other Representative

Other Representative
Team Name Opponent Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
South Queensland Papua New Guinea 1981 1981 1 4 9 - 30
Oceania Europe 1984 1984 1 - 1 - 2
President's XIII Great Britain 1988 1988 1 1 2 - 8

Latest

Immortals

Acknowledgement of Country

National Rugby League respects and honours the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on.

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