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Menzies Manly's saviour
Article from:
By Dean Ritchie
June 14, 2007
HE has not played a match
all season . . . but suddenly veteran
Steve Menzies has become
Manly's saviour.
Menzies will return from a 12-week injury drama in tomorrow night's match against South Sydney at Brookvale Oval.
And don't Manly need him.
Concerned Sea Eagles coach Des Hasler admitted last night he had only eight first graders able to train this week with flu sweeping the camp and four players – Brett Stewart, Steve Bell, Brent Kite and Jamie Lyon – away on State of Origin duty.
Incredibly, the first time Manly will gather as a full side will be when they run on to Brookvale Oval against the Rabbitohs.
"It's a real danger game for us," Hasler said.
But not everything is doom and gloom for Manly with Menzies – their favourite son – returning.
And in his first match back, Menzies will create history by breaking the Manly record for most first-grade matches.
The Rabbitohs game will be Menzies' 310th top-grade game – passing the record held by club legend Cliff Lyons (309).
The return of Menzies comes as the club battles to field a side.
Halfback Matt Orford, second-rower Anthony Watmough and centre Steve Matai – all representative players – have been cut down with the flu. Matai also has a neck injury.
Five-eighth Travis Burns is recovering from double pneumonia and Matt Ballin is laid up with a groin injury.
Hasler is a worried coach.
"We only had eight on the training field," Hasler said.
"The Origin blokes won't get back until Thursday and they will no doubt be pretty sore. It has been an extremely disrupted preparation.
"Flu has swept through the joint and we haven't had any troops on the training field."
Souths, though, are travelling smoothly after a strong win over Penrith last week and not having a single player backing up from last night's State of Origin match.
"Souths are coming off a good win and this game gives them a chance to really get their season back on track," Hasler said.
"Even when they have been beaten, Souths really turned up to play. They have been competitive in every game this season."
Menzies is expected to come off the Manly bench for the match.
Children from his junior club, Harbord Devils, will form a guard of honour for their hero.
Lyons, the man whose milestone Menzies will pass, will be at the game to congratulate his old mate.
Tributes have arrived this week from former teammates, old coaches and Manly godfather Ken Arthurson.
Menzies grandfather, Mackie Campbell, was a member of Manly's first-ever premiership side in 1947.
It was Campbell who took Menzies to Brookvale Oval in the late 1970s for the first time.
"For Beaver to break the record at Brookvale is fabulous," senior Manly official Peter Peters said.
"He is not only Manly's greatest-ever tryscorer but the greatest tryscoring forward in the history of the game.
"Now Beaver will hold the record for most first-grade matches at Manly."
Menzies still had a Manly contract when playing with the Northern Eagles.
Article from:
By Dean Ritchie
June 14, 2007
HE has not played a match
all season . . . but suddenly veteran
Steve Menzies has become
Manly's saviour.
Menzies will return from a 12-week injury drama in tomorrow night's match against South Sydney at Brookvale Oval.
And don't Manly need him.
Concerned Sea Eagles coach Des Hasler admitted last night he had only eight first graders able to train this week with flu sweeping the camp and four players – Brett Stewart, Steve Bell, Brent Kite and Jamie Lyon – away on State of Origin duty.
Incredibly, the first time Manly will gather as a full side will be when they run on to Brookvale Oval against the Rabbitohs.
"It's a real danger game for us," Hasler said.
But not everything is doom and gloom for Manly with Menzies – their favourite son – returning.
And in his first match back, Menzies will create history by breaking the Manly record for most first-grade matches.
The Rabbitohs game will be Menzies' 310th top-grade game – passing the record held by club legend Cliff Lyons (309).
The return of Menzies comes as the club battles to field a side.
Halfback Matt Orford, second-rower Anthony Watmough and centre Steve Matai – all representative players – have been cut down with the flu. Matai also has a neck injury.
Five-eighth Travis Burns is recovering from double pneumonia and Matt Ballin is laid up with a groin injury.
Hasler is a worried coach.
"We only had eight on the training field," Hasler said.
"The Origin blokes won't get back until Thursday and they will no doubt be pretty sore. It has been an extremely disrupted preparation.
"Flu has swept through the joint and we haven't had any troops on the training field."
Souths, though, are travelling smoothly after a strong win over Penrith last week and not having a single player backing up from last night's State of Origin match.
"Souths are coming off a good win and this game gives them a chance to really get their season back on track," Hasler said.
"Even when they have been beaten, Souths really turned up to play. They have been competitive in every game this season."
Menzies is expected to come off the Manly bench for the match.
Children from his junior club, Harbord Devils, will form a guard of honour for their hero.
Lyons, the man whose milestone Menzies will pass, will be at the game to congratulate his old mate.
Tributes have arrived this week from former teammates, old coaches and Manly godfather Ken Arthurson.
Menzies grandfather, Mackie Campbell, was a member of Manly's first-ever premiership side in 1947.
It was Campbell who took Menzies to Brookvale Oval in the late 1970s for the first time.
"For Beaver to break the record at Brookvale is fabulous," senior Manly official Peter Peters said.
"He is not only Manly's greatest-ever tryscorer but the greatest tryscoring forward in the history of the game.
"Now Beaver will hold the record for most first-grade matches at Manly."
Menzies still had a Manly contract when playing with the Northern Eagles.
