By Alan Nicolea
September 12th 2008 @ 12:20am
Get a Roar profile
Loading ...Super 14 tipping now live for sign-ups. Join now and invite your mates..
---------------
Joel Monaghan the fuel of the Green Machine
Redheads in rugby league are few and far between. In fact, they seem an endangered species. But that’s why it’s the more special seeing Canberra Raiders players Joel Monaghan and Alan Tongue being thrown into the limelight, for all the right reasons.
Monaghan was named the inaugural Mal Meninga medallist after beating out team-mate Terry Campese for the honour of the Raiders best player this season.
Tongue, on the other hand, received the Dally M captain of the year award on Tuesday night after leading a Green Machine, who many believed would have no fuel left come late September, into the finals finishing in sixth position.
While Tongue basks in his new found aura, Monaghan has been one player that has gone under the radar in recent seasons.
Canberra coach Neil Henry was Monaghan’s mentor during his younger years at Erindale College.
It was there Henry saw the untapped potential of a player that has finally displayed true form after lean years with injury at the Sydney Roosters.
But it was Monaghan’s last season at the Roosters that got Henry excited.
The now Raiders centre went on a try scoring rampage in the latter part of 2007, eventually finishing with 14 tries in just 17 games.
Thankfully for the Raiders, Monaghan’s move back to the nation’s capital has brought tremendous accolades for the club.
The Origin centre has formed the nucleus of a Raiders backline brimming with points and confidence.
Monaghan has scored 14 tries this season, including a hat-trick last week against the hapless Bulldogs, to lead Canberra into sixth position on the NRL ladder.
It was a performance that has given the Raiders enough hope to head late into the finals.
Super 14 tipping now live for sign-ups. Join now and invite your mates.
Free Email updates:
Our daily emails are only sent if there is content for the sport or that author. You can subscribe to multiple daily emails; or get the daily Roar email with all our content in it. We value privacy. More...
(6)
There are certain sentences a rugby writer believes he will never write and one them was (notice the past tense): 'Al Baxter monsters Andrew Sheridan...'
Loading ...
Spitfire3 said | September 12th 2008 @ 1:41pm | Report comment
Monas is a legend all right! I hope he stays in Canberra for the rest of his career.
Alan Nicolea said | September 12th 2008 @ 6:32pm | Report comment
Spitfire3
Monaghan is enjoying a purple patch in his career after finishing so well at the Roosters last season. He has continued on his ways and throughly deserves the ‘Mal Meninga’ medal around his neck. He will be the key along with Campese, against the Sharks on Saturday.
LeftArmSpinner said | September 13th 2008 @ 5:47pm | Report comment
just one of many who didnt fire at the roosters and then went on to bigger things at other clubs. meanwhile, we hired some burnt out overrated, splayed bulldogs bitches
Alan Nicolea said | September 13th 2008 @ 10:34pm | Report comment
Left arm spinner
I know the Brisbane loss must have been frustrating but we have a second chance. Mark O’Meley played very well on Friday night.
LeftArmSpinner said | September 14th 2008 @ 12:54pm | Report comment
probably against sharks a SFS. I will have to take my sharks mates and their kids……. note to self, drink heavily…… and pray for an upset……..
alan said | September 15th 2008 @ 11:54am | Report comment
Left Arm Spinner
Pray you might because the Roosters are now heading across the ditch to play the Warriors. There we will see if the Roosters are premiersip material. I know the Warriors are at the moment. Shaun Kenny Dowall has to start on the wing for the chooks.