Lethal try-scoring partnerships are common place in rugby league. But none match the unique potency and longevity forged by the hypnotic combination of Manly icons Cliff Lyons and Steve ‘Beaver’ Menzies.
The contrasting careers of Lyons and Menzies graced Brookvale for three decades, overlapping across seven wonderful seasons in the 1990s where the backrower’s eye for space and uncanny timing complimented the former Test five-eighth’s wizardry.
Of the 150 games the Harbord junior played in the Lyons era, all 104 of his tries came in the presence of the moustachioed maestro during their 143-game alliance. Lyons’ genius allegedly contributing to half in an age where statistical reliability coincided with televisions haphazard coverage.
Lyons explained the formidable try-scoring partnership upon retirement.
“There was no conscious positioning on our part, it was something that happened naturally,” he said.
“The trick was to hang on to the ball until the last possible second, suck in the opposing defence, and then get the ball to him, Steve did the rest.”
Rugby league was still bopping to the beat of Tina Turner’s Simply the Best when the odd-couple first combined, both from the bench on four occasions in 1993. For Lyons the timing was perfect, with the return of coach Bob Fulton reigniting the 32-year-old Churchill Medallist’s ad-lib creativity.
Although, with a grass-cutting tackling technique defining first appearances, there was no sign leading into 1994 that the 20-year-old Menzies would jag 16 four-pointers largely gifted by a knock-about star 12 years his senior.
But it turned out to be a season of miraculous records.
Lyons orchestrated a 61-0 thumping of St George at Brookvale Oval – their worst ever loss – featuring a silky-smooth inside ball that led to Menzies’ second. That was followed in the next round by a Menzies hat-trick and 12th try of the year, the most by a Manly forward in one season.
Eventually the square-shouldered youngster in the iconic black headgear speared through enough chasms to secure the 1994 rookie of the year award with his veteran orchestrator crowned Dally-M player of the year.
Amazingly, Beaver’s scoring rate increased to 22 and 20 in the 1995 and 1996 seasons – the first forward to score more than 20 times in almost 80 years – before dropping back to 13 in 1997 when a frustrated Lyons played mostly off the bench following the recruitment of South Sydney’s enigmatic Craig Field.
The couple’s timing was built on remarkable durability with their 58 consecutive appearances from Round 1 in 1994 only broken by Menzies’ State of Origin selection in 1996. During Manly’s golden run of three consecutive grand finals between 1995-97, Lyons and Menzies combined in 72 of the 75 matches winning 57 with Beaver crossing on 55 occasions.
Lyons crossed for 20 of his own, often toying with support in cross-field runs before powering off confused opponents with a trademark tucked chin and straight arm.
The adventure began winding down in 1998 with Lyons informed by the club it would be his last, only to be plucked from retirement as injuries plagued the club’s woeful 1999 season opening.
Amid drooping curls in his 38th year, Lyons celebrated a triple century of Manly outings in style laying on six tries against a hapless Western Suburbs before an appreciative home crowd.
He treated fans to a revival of past glories in assisting Menzies, who crossed four times in becoming the third forward to reach the-100 try milestone at a strike rate comparable to the best backline talent of the time.
Years later Menzies paid tribute to the magic of Lyons.
“Cliffy just played the game as he lived life. It was all fun. Pressure was something he never acknowledged, and training was a necessary evil to be avoided wherever possible,” he said.
A classic banner on the Brookvale hill offered an insight to Lyons’ good fortune, “Father Time doesn’t know where Cliffy lives”.
And coincidently in the decade following, it turns out that Father Time also went on to lose Lyons’ former shadow that would eventually become the greatest try-scoring forward in the Australian game.
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