Steve Menzies has happy memories recalling ‘lost’ Ashes

AS someone who played on the last true Kangaroos Ashes tour, Steve Menzies admits it is “sad” to realise this year’s event now looks certain to be cancelled.
Steve Menzies scores the opening try for Australia aginst England in the World Cup in 1995. Picture: Getty ImagesSteve Menzies scores the opening try for Australia aginst England in the World Cup in 1995. Picture: Getty Images
Steve Menzies scores the opening try for Australia aginst England in the World Cup in 1995. Picture: Getty Images

The former Australia second-row twice represented his country in the UK, coming over as a rookie in 1994, then again the following year as they won the World Cup and he finished as the competition’s top try-scorer.

The Kangaroos have not toured here for an Ashes series against Great Britain since 2003 but are scheduled to face England in three Tests this autumn, the opener on October 31.

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Nevertheless, due to the coronavirus bringing the sport to a halt, it looks like being lost.

The NRL’s Grand Final has been pushed back to October 25 and, last week, it was confirmed the three-match State of Origin series between Queensland and New South Wales would now be switched to November.

In the second part of an interview with The Yorkshire Post, Manly legend Menzies admitted: “It is definitely sad (loss of Ashes).

“You’d love to fit it all in but these are just bizarre circumstances. I don’t think anyone will be disappointed to see Origin going ahead – albeit at the end of the year which will be strange – but just to see them run out this weekend (the NRL resumes on Thursday) will be amazing.

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“On touring England with the Kangaroos, though, I look back and remember just how brilliant that was. It’s sad that that part of the international game is lost.

“I know they play more Tests now but it’s sad that the Ashes – once every four years – no longer happens. Yes, there’s other games going on in the other years but that was like the Olympics.”

The previous three Ashes series – 1994, 2001 and 2003 – were all staged in this country but 1994, before the advent of summer rugby, was the last time a traditional tour involving midweek games against clubs took place.

Uncapped Menzies was just 20 at the time but went on to score nine tries in 11 games featuring against the likes of Leeds, Wigan, Castleford, Sheffield Eagles and St Helens as well as a Great Britain Under-21s side that included the late Steve Prescott, Francis Cummins and Ryan Sheridan.

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“My first game was v Cumbria,” he recalled, earning man-of-the-match at Workington.

Steve Menzies playing in the NRL State of Origin Game.  (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)Steve Menzies playing in the NRL State of Origin Game.  (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
Steve Menzies playing in the NRL State of Origin Game. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)

“I scored a couple of tries I think but you just go through that squad and shake your head.

“I’d played six first-grade games for Manly in ‘93 and then the whole season in ‘94. Then they read the names out, two days after the Grand Final and your name’s on there.

“I was like, ‘what’s going on?’ You jump on the plane, I was sitting next to Ricky Stuart and Mal Meninga’s there, Brad Clyde, Allan Langer, Laurie Daley, Tim Brasher…. I was thinking what am I doing here?

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“It was surreal. Glenn Lazarus, ET (Andrew Ettinghausen)... You get to know these guys. You end up playing board games in the hotel in Leeds and living and breathing with these guys for 10 weeks.

“They just became mates. I pinch myself thinking how lucky I was to be involved in the last-ever true Kangaroo tour before it all changed.”

Menzies, who played 20 Origin games for New South Wales, returned the following year but as an integral part of the side shorn of stellar names due to the outbreak of the Super League war.

“We didn’t have any of the Canberra players – Clyde, Daley, Stuart – so we weren’t given much of a chance,” recalled the prolific player, who came back to the UK again for a two-year spell with Bradford Bulls in 2009.

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“We were beaten by England at Wembley (Menzies scored twice in 20-16 loss) but then had a couple of easy games against South Africa and Fiji before New Zealand in the semi,” he recalled.

“They scored a try to make it 20-20 late on with a kick from the sideline and Matthew Ridge is kicking to win the game. I played with Matthew at Manly and he is the best goalkicker. He hardly ever missed. If he did, he missed by a metre.

“I’m thinking the worst but he misses this by 15 metres. It’s the worst kick I’ve ever seen him kick! We go into extra-time we get into the final, beat England and end up winning the whole thing.”

NRL Hall of Famer Menzies, who scored 180 tries in 349 games for Manly, said: “I scored a really good try in that semi-final, one of my favourites from my whole career. Freddie (Fittler) goes inside to Joey (Johns) and as soon as Freddie passes it to Joey I was just shouting ‘give it again, give it again!’ There was this big gap and I knew we were going through.

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“He just flicked it on and I’d run about 70 metres when Sean Hoppe came in from the wing. I’d never palmed anyone off in my life but he went too high so I stuck my arm out, pushed him off and ran in the last 10. Other than my Grand Final tries that is probably my favourite.”

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