NEW national coach Mal Meninga will lobby for the revival of Kangaroo tours after revealing how he was inspired by values of league Immortal Arthur Beetson.
Meningas marvellous 10-year reign as Queensland coach officially ended on Thursday when the ARL Commission confirmed his appointment as Tim Sheens Test successor.
Meninga paid tribute to his special bond with fellow Origin pioneer Beetson.
Thirty-two years after Beetson achieved the rare feat of captaining and coaching at club, Origin and Test level, Meninga is now walking the path forged by his Queensland hero.
Meningas appointment as Australian coach came two days after the fourth anniversary of Beetsons death in 2011.
Beetsons legacy lives on through Meninga, who on Thursday revealed the personalised Origin letter from Big Artie that changed his life.
eninga was a starry-eyed centre celebrating his 20th birthday when 35-year-old Beetson led Queensland in the first Origin game at Lang Park in 1980.
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I hope Artie is looking down on me today pretty proud, Meninga said. Im walking in the footsteps of Arthur and its a great honour.
Not many people get the opportunity to emulate Arthur and its so long ago that he achieved this (captaining and coaching club, state and Test teams).
Artie had a huge belief in me as a young bloke and that belief from someone I admired gave me the confidence to succeed in rugby league.
Artie used to give the players little messages in envelopes. I remember opening mine before the (first Origin) game and him telling me how proud he was of me and the way I represented my family.
Artie felt you needed a touch of being a good person and a sense of humility to succeed in rugby league.
Where I am right now today, as Australian coach, all goes back to Arties letters and his belief in me.
Beetson became leagues first indigenous captain when he led Australia against France in 1973. He went on to coach Australia in 1983 with a 23-year-old Meninga as his goalkicking centre.
All the young Queensland kids like myself, Wally Lewis, Gene Miles and Chris Close were in awe of Artie and we loved being coached by him in Queensland and Australian teams, said Meninga, a south-sea Islander.
He was such a wonderful person, he really cared about me. He wanted his players to do the best they could. He was very proud of his heritage, as I am with my heritage.
eninga will transfer the team-first values that made Queensland an Origin juggernaut to the national team. He embarked on four Kangaroo tours as a player, including the 1990 voyage where he scored his epic series-saving try at Old Trafford, and wants to bring back the prestigious trips.
As a game, we need to create excitement around the international program. Id love to see a mini-Kangaroo tour come back, he said.
I loved Kangaroos tours, there was some great football played and fun times of mateship and bonding.
I know its a busy calendar but you have to put a carrot out there to get players excited. At the moment the international scene is flagging a bit and I want to help reinvigorate it.
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