Steve Menzies to retire

[Armageddon.]

I wanna see him in Green & gold

 

[Danish]

An absolute legend of the game. Could have broken the all time try scoring record had he not been ousted from our comp a couple years too early.

My absolute favourite neutral fan grand final moment was when Beaver got a try in the 2008 grand final. When he came back on in the 2nd half the entire crowd was just begging for him to score, and when he actually went over the bloody roof almost got blown off

Congrats on a wonderful career

 

[Dutchy]

An absolute legend of the game. Could have broken the all time try scoring record had he not been ousted from our comp a couple years too early.

My absolute favourite neutral fan grand final moment was when Beaver got a try in the 2008 grand final. When he came back on in the 2nd half the entire crowd was just begging for him to score, and when he actually went over the bloody roof almost got blown off

Congrats on a wonderful career

I still tear up watching that try.

 

[Utey]

2008, fantastic moment when he scored. Couldn't have written a better script.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLlNX00huGs

 

[Loudstrat]

One of the few players great enough to wear an Manly jumper for a career and be liked by the opposition. I am certain that Beaver will be looked back upon as an all time great. I feel privaledged to have watched a career as spectacular as Frank Burge and Eddie Burns.

Beaver, like the likes of Hindy, Hasem and few others, should have been the face of the game. What a legend.

 

[Loudstrat]

to put his career into perspective, the year he debuted for manly:

• souffs missed the finals

That puts the career of ever player from Ken Sio back to Moses into perspective lol!

 

[kdalymc]

According to eligibility rules, Menzies can play for France this year.

 

[Red Bear]

An absolute legend of the game. Could have broken the all time try scoring record had he not been ousted from our comp a couple years too early.

My absolute favourite neutral fan grand final moment was when Beaver got a try in the 2008 grand final. When he came back on in the 2nd half the entire crowd was just begging for him to score, and when he actually went over the bloody roof almost got blown off

Congrats on a wonderful career

We got drunk watching that game with a drinking game where you selected numbers from the hat for your players from each team, drank when they touched the ball, sculled when they scored a try etc.

Beaver was the group player, when he scored it was a communal finish your drinks.

 

[Fire]

Why is his nickname Beaver?

 

[firechild]

When he was young he looked like the kid from Leave it to Beaver.

 

[greg]

I've just read his book. The nickname is nothing nasty or double meaning. Apparently as a toddler he was referred to by family as "Stevie Beavie" which evolved to "the Beaver". As for his headgear, he kept wearing the old style because it was all he was comfortable in. He saw some old stock of the brand/style he liked years ago in a shop and bought 10 lots of it to last his career. great player!

 

[Fire]

When he was young he looked like the kid from Leave it to Beaver.

Cheers.

Awesome player. Machine.

 

[Fire]

I've just read his book. The nickname is nothing nasty or double meaning. Apparently as a toddler he was referred to by family as "Stevie Beavie" which evolved to "the Beaver". As for his headgear, he kept wearing the old style because it was all he was comfortable in. He saw some old stock of the brand/style he liked years ago in a shop and bought 10 lots of it to last his career. great player!

Cheers.

I like the old-school headgear.

Soward and Thurston look like f**ken idiots. I'm glad Runciman just wears plain black headgear.

 

[Perth Red]

500 games in the pack for a skinny forward. Massive effort and nice guy as well. Now this is an immortal in my eyes!

 

[Tonearm Terrorwrist]

Steve Menzies is an absolute legend and a player that I think no one hates which says a lot about him because he's Manly Sea Eagles through and through. It's a shame he didn't finish his career in the NRL though, one of those players I would have liked to have seen play live just one more time.

 

[big hit!]

This bloke if a pro in every way.

He walked into a shop I was working at not too long after that '08 GF. What a specimen.

Just a fine example of how discipline and looking after yourself physically can allow you to play for longer than the average standard 31-32 year old cut off. Obviously, he had a love for the game and keeping fit which enabled him to do it for so long.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

One thing I never really understood is why he wasn't an automatic selection for NSW and Australia throughout his career?

I know he arguably wasn't the most robust forward and the way he played pretty much as an "edge" forward before such a thing was in vogue was perhaps a bit unusual, but surely being arguably both the best hole-running forward ever AND an all-time great defender was enough?

 

[woodyk2]

Well done Beaver. I like the idea of selecting him in the World Cup side.

 

[sensesmaybenumbed]

A rare thing for a player to have such respect that every fan from every club would want him playing for their team - the fact that he stuck with a single club for his NRL career just adds to the respect.

 

[reanimate]

One thing I never really understood is why he wasn't an automatic selection for NSW and Australia throughout his career?

I know he arguably wasn't the most robust forward and the way he played pretty much as an "edge" forward before such a thing was in vogue was perhaps a bit unusual, but surely being arguably both the best hole-running forward ever AND an all-time great defender was enough?

Not only was he a great forward, he could fill in almost anywhere in the team and do a good job. The amount of times he filled in for Manly in the centres and did a fantastic job of it ended up being too many to count. In his last year for Manly, he also played a good chunk of the year at 5/8 and excelled there too.

His defence was also sublime, plus the amount of times he'd be there to take an offload at speed and make a break were amazing. A true Rugby League legend.