Malcolm Norman Meninga

Malcolm Norman Meninga (born 8 July 1960) is an Australian professional rugby league coach and a former professional rugby league footballer. Quotes I played rugby league as a kid but I didn’t know how good I was until a big stretchy senior constable said to me ‘oh you play rugby league do you?’ and I said ‘yes constable’ and he sort of turned away and said ‘we’ll see’. That was my first adventure with Wayne Bennett. He was so instrumental in building my self-confidence. He said to me I could be anyone or anything I wanted to be as long as I put my mind to it and having that purpose and a mindset that you want to succeed and not be beaten. I still goal set today. So those things that he taught me in those early years I still carry with me today. What I remember about getting picked in the Queensland side in ’79 I remember Wayne come up to me and he said, ‘congratulations but I don’t think you deserved it’, Such a Wayne thing and he did it for a purpose, hey, he wanted me to play well and the ‘I’ll prove you wrong’ type of thing. It (playing in the BRL) taught you to grow up and I was lucky enough to go straight into first grade for Brisbane Souths at 18 and it toughened me up pretty quick and it took a while honestly — and it was scary. That’s what happened in those days, you’d get king hit and play on. Rugby league to me is a combative sport. I’m not saying you have to be a bully, but you’ve got to be really competitive and you’ve got to beat that person on the other side of the field and I learnt that in the BRL. I was very physical and I was pretty big at those times as well so you get to learn to use your size. Dad was a smart player and was captain-coach and he understood the game. I watched the game intensely and I picked things up and Wayne was such a smart individual coach-wise that I learnt a lot. Back in the academy, dad and mum and I met up with Harry Bath from the Dragons so he wanted to take me down there when I was a 17-year-old kid. This is how ambitious I was and what goal-setting does to you and I’ve never really told this story. Harry said that he’d bring me up in the lower grades and we’ll eventually get you into first grade. I said to dad and mum afterwards ‘I’m not going there because I’m going to play for Queensland. We had no idea how it (State of Origin) was going to pan out but you could see the passion of Beetson and it was one of the most enjoyable games I’ve ever had. I couldn’t believe the crowd and running out behind Beetson. I remember him writing a letter to me once telling me how proud he was of me for upholding my values and upholding my culture being an Australian South Sea Islander and not deviating from that. That was a really powerful message for me and it reinforces things because you respect this man and he’s got an aura about him. He set me in a direction around who I was again and to be proud of who I am. You didn’t want to let him down and you didn’t want to let Queensland down. You learn those things and that was the catalyst for us young fellas, Wally (Lewis), myself, Kerry Boustead, that made us realise say we’re better than we think we are. We can actually beat these (NSW) fellas. And that’s what I preached when I was coaching Queensland. I’ve been on a little bit of a journey to understand our history and what our great grandfather did to get to Australia. I am very proud to be an Australian South Sea Islander. I think it’s the ultimate thing you can give your children because what I have found out on my journey as that you’re never really complete until you understand that really well. And once you understand that really well, that helps you make better decisions in life as well and make contributions in life. We always knew we were Australian South Sea Islander but we really weren’t quite sure where we came from, we come from Tanna, but, where did the Meninga name come from? He had to give a name and it had to be spelt frenetically and they spelt it Meninga. Ironically beside it was the number four which was his trackable number throughout all his history. Four is my Maroons number. I was fortunate to be part of the first State of Origin team way back in 1980 and I was known by playing number three, however, the great Arthur Beetson got the number one jersey so Colin Scott got two, Choppy Close got three and I got four. They protected me from it, They protected myself and my brothers and there were tensions between both families both white and black. No one turned up at their wedding but eventually as time heals and the families came back around. It became the norm for me and my brother at school and we were fighting all the time for our own existence and fighting for respect. When I look back on that life it’s made me the person I am today and that enables me to do what I do today as well. I am not regretful of that I am just a bit disappointed I guess but that’s life. Dad told me it’s okay if they call you names as long as they’ve got a smile on their face because if they’re joking that’s fine. On a football field it was a sign of strength that you’re getting over the top of the opposition so if someone’s starting to call you all sorts of names you know you’re winning the battle on the footy field. That’s they way I looked at it and it gave me the strength to actually accept it and just move forward all the time. I’m not a person who can dwell on it and like most males I try and find solutions to things Big Mal opens up on journey into past, Wayne and bold reason he knocked back Sydney club, July 22 2024 We’ve closed the door on all that, If you want to play in the green and gold jersey and be part of our environment you’ve got to put those differences aside. My view is you’ve got to be connected with your heart,You’ve got to be emotionally engaged with the jersey you put on, whether it be club or state or country. I admire the fact that he’s emotionally connected to the Tongans. I’d prefer to have someone that’s connected to the green and gold jersey. That’s why I’ve given it full blessing and hopefully he plays well for his ancestral country. We’ve obviously got huge support around the Pacific [nations], so I’d like to see that forge ahead in various forms. We’d like to help the European game with the English and the French competitions. We want to help out as much as we can by going back to scheduling Kangaroos tours and Great Britain Lions tours back over here. The next World Cup is over in England, so we just keep on promoting the game as best we possibly can. Mal Meninga commands respect for Kangaroos' jersey across state lines, October 24 2017 External Links Category:Australia Category:1960 births Category:1960s Category:Rugby league coaches Category:Living people