At the end of the 1992 season, Meninga captained Australia to their 10–6 win over Great Britain in the World Cup Final in front of a record international test crowd of 73,631 at Wembley Stadium in London. After Canberra's salary cap problems at the end of 1991 which saw them lose a number of fringe players as well as some veterans (though most, including Meninga, agreed to actually take a pay cut in order to keep the side together), the Raiders missed the finals for the first time since 1986 when they finished 12th in 1992. The State of Origin series is the only trophy Mal Meninga would not win as a team captain. Important additions in v3.2 are labeled as NEW. Home . After the Kangaroos' shock 19–12 loss in the first Ashes test against Great Britain at Wembley Stadium, Australia won the next two tests at Old Trafford and Elland Road to wrap up the series. He played in Queensland's second straight Origin series win over NSW, while also starring for Australia in the two test series against New Zealand in mid-season. Papua New Guinea 7's. 1. Mal Meninga played left-centre, i.e. [23], During the 2003 Rugby Union World Cup, Wales' assistant coach Scott Johnson got Meninga to assist with pre-match preparation by speaking to the players and presenting them with their jerseys.[24]. Additionally he is one of five players, along with Wally Lewis, Peter Sterling, Brett Kenny and Gene Miles, who were members of the undefeated 1982 and 1986 tours, known as 'the Invincibles' and 'the Unbeatables' respectively. On an unseasonably warm day, Meninga's lack of match fitness since his return told (he had only played 60 minutes of the Preliminary final win over Eastern Suburbs the week before) and he was finally replaced by Raiders reserve back Kevin Walters midway through the second half. Following his retirement Mal Meninga openly supported the Super League concept during the Super League war of the mid-1990s. He is the only player to tour four times with the Kangaroos and the only player to make two Kangaroo tours as captain. We’re at Deany Leahy Oval, where it has a history of the Kangaroos playing here, the Lions, the French Roosters. ''It's what he does for the players around him''. The lowest point of Papua New Guinea is the Pacific Ocean (0m). Complete list of Papua New Guinea players. He also coached them to their first "clean sweep" since 2000. Meninga attended the 2007 Challenge Cup Final, in which his old club St Helens was playing, at Wembley Stadium as a guest of honour. The former Papua New Guinea and Queensland halfback, who is expected to stay on next season, won more votes from the other Super League head coaches than anyone else. At the end of the 1991 season after the Raiders had lost 19–12 to Penrith in the Grand Final, Meninga captained the Australians for their tour of Papua New Guinea which included a 2–0 test series win over the Kumuls. [38] 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. Apart from replanting of a standard grass variety on the playing pitch, boundary being securely fenced off by mesh and barbed wires firmly supported by steel posts, the grandstand seatings have also been given a make-over. He scored a try and kicked 5 goals in his final test for Australia in Australia. Only player to twice captain a Kangaroo Tour (1990 and 1994). As marked on the map by an upright yellow triangle, the highest point of Papua New Guinea is Mount Wilhelm – at an elevation of 14,793 ft (4,509 m). number 4, and scored 2-tries in St. Helens 28–16 victory over Wigan in the 1984 Lancashire County Cup Final during the 1984–85 season at Central Park, Wigan on Sunday 28 October 1984. We have two printing plants and the paper is simultaneously printed in the capital city of Port Moresby and the industrial city of Lae. The Papua New Guinea national rugby union team, nicknamed the Pukpuks, (Tok Pisin for 'crocodiles'), played its first international in 1966, defeating Vanuatu 47-3. Gasnier was on hand to congratulate Meninga on his achievement. It was during his time in the police force that Meninga met Wayne Bennett, who was serving as a constable at the time and would become one of Meninga's key mentors. Meninga made a successful début 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). After a poor first test, the second saw a welcome return to form for Meninga. [27] 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 "rats and filth"[30] 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 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). 5ft 5in (165 cm) Will Genia. Meninga had been blessed with size and strength and used those qualities to their fullest. 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. That Origin game was on 8 July 1980, Meninga's 20th birthday. NRL Help this is goroka my hometown. 1993 wasn't all bad though. 13 in Rugby League Week’s Top 100 players: 1992. [25] 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,[26] both of which Queensland won, taking his record with the Maroons to three wins from three series. In 1995 Meninga's book Mal Meninga: My Life in Football was published. [citation needed]. 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 1 August 2011, the matter was resolved. [citation needed]. He is also the only player to captain two Kangaroo Tours, in 1990 and 1994. French had accidentally left the St Helens contract in his hotel room so asked Wigan chairman Maurice Lindsay if he could borrow his; unbelievably, the normally astute Lindsay agreed and handed over the papers. By starting in the 3rd test at Lang Park, Meninga played his 37th test, breaking the record of 36 held by Reg Gasnier since 1967. Malcolm Norman Meninga AM (/məˈnɪŋɡə/; born 8 July 1960) is the head coach of the Australian national team[6] and an Australian former rugby league footballer. Sorry but this browser is no longer supported. The National is the top-selling newspaper in Papua New Guinea. [50], Australian rugby league footballer and coach for Australia, CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (, Queensland Rugby League Team of the Century, 2016 Rugby League Four Nations (third title), 2017 Rugby League World Cup Champions (11th Title), BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year, Papua New Guinea national rugby league team, Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly, Queensland Rugby League's Team of the Century, "Mal Meninga – Career Stats & Summary – Rugby League Project", "Mal Meninga to be appointed new Kangaroos coach", "Why coaching State of Origin is not the toughest job Mal Meninga will have this week", https://maroochyshs.eq.edu.au/Ourschool/History/Pages/History.aspx, https://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/sport/11200052.flashback-to-the-1985-premiership-final-nine-local-lads-and-the-wizard-of-aus/, "Weekend Interview: Legend Mal Meninga continues his 'love affair' with England", "NSWRL 1990 – Round 5 – Rugby League Project", "Up From the Ashes: The Phoenix of a Rugby League Literature", "Meninga keen for Australian or Queensland coaching job", http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/rugby-league/state-of-origin/nsw-need-look-no-further-than-queensland-plan-20100618-ymqj.html, "Meninga's Origin culture created history: Lockyer", "Wally Lewis says Maroons okay without Darren Lockyer", Meninga's fury at NSW 'rats and filth' – Sports News First, Feeling Blue or Blue skies ahead? 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