Farewell Beaver Menzies

Brookvale Oval said goodbye one of Manly’s greats, Steve Menzies, on Saturday night. The statistics tell a story.

If Manly make it to the Grand Final he’ll be equal with Terry Lamb as having played the most first-grade games in Australian rugby league history.

He’s the highest try-scoring forward of all time and the second highest try-scorer of any position, ever.

He’s played State of Origin, for the Kangaroos (including a World Cup triumph) and was part of Manly’s premiership side in 1996.

Menzies made the Australian tour in his first full year in first grade in 1994 and was the top try-scorer for the season in his second year full season in 1995 (and joint top try-scorer in 1998).

While the stats tell plenty what is most remarkable is the fact that Menzies has played all his football on the northern beaches from the Harbord Devils to his decade and a half at the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles.

Menzies stayed despite the offers of earning $150,000 extra to leave the disaster that was the Northern Eagles and play for top sides with top players. This was to the detriment not just of the pay packet but also of another shot at a premiership and arguably for his representative chances.

This sort of one-club loyalty (if you include the time at the joint-venture Northern Eagles) is almost unheard of these days but Menzies didn’t want to leave the club his grandfather played for in the club’s inaugural year in 1947.