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Steve Menzies

  • Playing Career

Playing Career

All information provided below is based only on data available in the RLP database and should be used as a guide only.

Vital Statistics

Nickname(s)
Beaver
Born
Tuesday, 4th December, 1973
Current Age
52 years and 191 days
Place Of Birth
Manly, New South Wales, Australia

Known Family Links

Grandfather
Mackie Campbell

Competitions Won

Anzac Tests
1998, 2006
World Cup
1995
Test Series
1995 Australia vs New Zealand
State of Origin
1996, 1997, 2005
NSW City vs Country Origin
1995, 2002, 2003, 2005
ARL/NRL Premiership
1996, 2008

Honours & Awards

Dally M Rookie Of The Year
1994
Dally M Second Rower Of The Year
1994, 1995, 1998
Dally M Lock Of The Year
2002
Brad Fittler Medal
2006
National Rugby League Hall Of Fame
2018

Biography

Manly junior, the grandson of pioneer clubman ‘Mackie’ Campbell, had a dream 1994 season which culminated in Kangaroo selection. Menzies, an Australian Schoolboy rep (1992) started his career as a centre in the Manly juniors before cementing a first grade position in the second row. He scored 16 tries in the 1994 season - a tremendous effort for a 20-year-old forward - and his pace out wide and ability to back up secured him a place on the Kangaroos Tour. Wearing his trademark headgear, ‘Beaver’ Menzies showed great maturity in the minor tour matches in England where he scored 9 tries in 11 appearances. In 1995 he was the season’s leading try-scorer with 22 tries – the first time a forward topped the try-scoring list since ‘Chicka’ Cahill in 1945. Menzies made his NSW and Test debut during the troubled 1995 season and was regularly one of the first forwards chosen in representative fixtures. Following Manly’s grand final loss in 1995 Menzies was an important member of Australia’s victorious World Cup team. The following year Menzies was a try-scorer in Manly’s 20-8 win over St George in the grand final. Despite a personally satisfying match in the 1997 ARL decider, Menzies’ efforts could not stave off defeat by a committed Newcastle outfit. A tireless defender, a fact often over-looked because of his try-scoring prowess, Menzies formed an uncanny understanding with veteran pivot Cliff Lyons at Manly. While the eventual winding down of Lyons’ career and injuries to Nik Kosef resulted in the slowing of Menzies’ try-scoring rate, he topped the century mark of tries in 1999. Turning out for the merged N’Eagles club, he knocked back a huge offer from the Roosters at the end of 2000 to remain with the embattled club. 2001 was a mixed bag – dropped to First Division in April, he a later returned to the State of Origin arena (albeit on the bench) but his Test career was effectively over. When the N’Eagles folded at the end of 2002 Menzies was the logical choice as Manly captain once the NRL franchise reverted to the Sea Eagles Club. Despite playing in the centres at different stages of the 2004 season he became the greatest try-scoring forward in the history of the game when he surpassed the great Frank Burge’s career record (146 tries). Representing NSW and Australia 12 years after his debut with the Kangaroos Menzies announced his retirement from rep football in 2006.
- ALAN WHITICKER

Playing Career Statistics

To view a list of corresponding matches, click on the List button.
Representative Career - International   Comp Wins Starts Int APP ST PT T G   A GK % 1FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
Tests (Senior International Matches) - 9 5 14 11-11 -     - - 44 - - - 12 2 - 85.71% List
Other International Matches - 1 - 1 1-1 -     - - 4 - - - 1 - - 100.00% List
Anzac Tests 2 1 1 2 --- -     - - - - - - 1 1 - 50.00% List
World Cup 1 4 - 4 6-6 -     - - 24 - - - 3 1 - 75.00% List
Tour Matches AustraliaAUS - 7 4 11 9-9 -     - - 36 - - - 11 - - 100.00% List
Test Series 1 3 - 3 3-3 -     - - 12 - - - 3 - - 100.00% List
Representative Career - Australia   Comp Wins Starts Int APP ST PT T G   A GK % 1FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
State of Origin 3 6 14 20 4-4 -     - - 16 - - - 9 10 1 45.00% List
NSW City vs Country Origin 4 8 - 8 2-2 -     - - 8 - - - 4 4 - 50.00% List
NSW City vs Country 4 8 - 8 2-2 -     - - 8 - - - 4 4 - 50.00% List
Club Career - Australia   Comp Wins Starts Int APP ST PT T G   A GK % 1FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
NSWRL/ARL/NRL Premiership 2 324 25 349 180-180 1 / 2 50.00% - - 722 - 2 - 196 149 4 56.16% List
NRL Finals - 14 6 20 11-11 0 / 1 0.00% - - 44 - - - 12 8 - 60.00% List
Challenge Cup AU - - 1 1 --- -     - - - - - - - 1 - 0.00% List
Club Career - UK   Comp Wins Starts Int APP ST PT T G   A GK % 1FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
Super League - 113 7 120 54-54 1     - - 218 - - - 57 59 4 47.50% List
Challenge Cup - 7 1 8 5-5 -     - - 20 - - - 4 4 - 50.00% List
Super League Finals - 5 - 5 2-2 -     - - 8 - - - 1 4 - 20.00% List
UK Top Division - 113 7 120 54-54 1     - - 218 - - - 57 59 4 47.50% List
Super League Magic Weekend - 4 1 5 2-2 -     - - 8 - - - 3 2 - 60.00% List
Overall   Starts Int APP ST PT T G   A GK % 1FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
First Class  474 56 530 265-265 2     - - 1,064 - 2 - 293 228 9 55.28% List

Test Matches - By Team

Team Years   Starts Int APP ST PT T G   A GK % 1FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
Australia 1995-96, 1998, 2002, 2006   9 5 14 11-11 -     - - 44 - - - 12 2 - 85.71% List

International Matches - By Team

Team Years   Starts Int APP ST PT T G   A GK % 1FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
Australia 1995-1997   1 - 1 1-1 -     - - 4 - - - 1 - - 100.00% List

World Cup Matches - By Team

Team Years   Starts Int APP ST PT T G   A GK % 1FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
Australia 1995   4 - 4 6-6 -     - - 24 - - - 3 1 - 75.00% List

Australia - By Team

Team Years   Starts Int APP ST PT T G   A GK % 1FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
NSW 1995-98, 2001-02, 2005-06   6 14 20 4-4 -     - - 16 - - - 9 10 1 45.00% List
NSW City 1995-97, 2001-05   8 - 8 2-2 -     - - 8 - - - 4 4 - 50.00% List

NSWRL/ARL/NRL Premiership - By Year

Team Season   Starts Int APP ST PT T G   A GK % 1FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
ManlyManly 19931993 NSWRL Winfield Cup   - 6 6--- -     - - - - - - 6 - - 100.00% List
ManlyManly 19941994 NSWRL Winfield Cup   21 2 2316-16 -     - - 64 - - - 16 6 1 69.57% List
ManlyManly 19951995 ARL Winfield Cup   25 - 2522-22 -     - - 88 - - - 22 3 - 88.00% List
ManlyManly 19961996 ARL Optus Cup   24 - 2420-20 -     - - 80 - - - 20 4 - 83.33% List
ManlyManly 19971997 ARL Optus Cup   25 - 2513-13 -     - - 52 - - - 17 6 2 68.00% List
ManlyManly 19981998 NRL Premiership   25 - 2520-20 -     - - 80 - - - 13 12 - 52.00% List
ManlyManly 19991999 NRL Premiership   22 - 2213-13 -     - - 52 - - - 9 12 1 40.91% List
Northern EaglesNorthern Eagles 20002000 Telstra NRL Premiership   24 - 246-6 -     - - 24 - - - 9 15 - 37.50% List
Northern EaglesNorthern Eagles 20012001 Telstra NRL Premiership   22 1 2312-12 -     - - 48 - - - 9 14 - 39.13% List
Northern EaglesNorthern Eagles 20022002 Telstra NRL Premiership   22 - 2211-11 -     - - 44 - - - 9 13 - 40.91% List
ManlyManly 20032003 Telstra NRL Premiership   24 - 247-7 -     - - 28 - 1 - 7 17 - 29.17% List
ManlyManly 20042004 Telstra NRL Premiership   23 - 238-8 -     - - 32 - - - 9 14 - 39.13% List
ManlyManly 20052005 Telstra NRL Premiership   23 - 237-7 -     - - 28 - - - 12 11 - 52.17% List
ManlyManly 20062006 Telstra NRL Premiership   19 - 194-4 -     - - 16 - 1 - 9 10 - 47.37% List
ManlyManly 20072007 Telstra NRL Premiership   8 7 158-8 1 / 1 100.00% - - 34 - - - 10 5 - 66.67% List
ManlyManly 20082008 Telstra NRL Premiership   17 9 2613-13 0 / 1 0.00% - - 52 - - - 19 7 - 73.08% List

NSWRL/ARL/NRL Premiership - By Team

Team Years   Starts Int APP ST PT T G   A GK % 1FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
Manly 1993-99, 2003-08   256 24 280 151-151 1 / 2 50.00% - - 606 - 2 - 169 107 4 60.36% List
Northern Eagles 2000-02   68 1 69 29-29 -     - - 116 - - - 27 42 - 39.13% List

English Career - By Year

Team Season   Starts Int APP ST PT T G   A GK % 1FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
BradfordBradford 2009   26 1 2713-13 -     - - 52 - - - 12 15 1 44.44% List
BradfordBradford 2010   30 - 3015-15 1     - - 62 - - - 11 19 1 36.67% List
CatalansCatalans 2011   21 2 2314-14 -     - - 56 - - - 14 12 - 60.87% List
CatalansCatalans 2012   17 5 229-9 -     - - 36 - - - 15 10 - 68.18% List
CatalansCatalans 2013   26 - 268-8 -     - - 32 - - - 13 13 2 50.00% List

English Career - By Team

Team Years   Starts Int APP ST PT T G   A GK % 1FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
Bradford 2009-10   56 1 57 28-28 1     - - 114 - - - 22 33 2 38.60% List
Catalans 2011-13   64 7 71 31-31 -     - - 124 - - - 39 30 2 54.93% List

Your Say

  • Greg Simpson
    12 Feb 2012 9:33pm

    Steve is still playing for the Dragons in France and still scoring tries, I am flying to Perpignan to watch him play....doing great for a 38 year old !!

  • Robbo
    7 May 2012 2:24pm

    What an icon....39 years young in Dec. and still battling along, this bloke would play for a bowl of rice I think..he even scored a double the other week and his try scoring sheet shows only 3 since he has been in the U.K but I'd like a beer for every try he has set up for others to collect the glory....onya champion..

  • Oring
    13 May 2012 7:09pm

    An absolute legend of the game both on and off the field.If your teaching your kids how to tackle show them tapes of Beaver in action.

  • Brendan
    20 Sep 2013 3:53pm

    Absolute ornament to rugby league. This man has always played the game in the right spirit & is an inspiration to young players. A Manly legend!

  • Anonymous
    10 Oct 2013 9:50pm

    What a player he has been. Longevity in a nutshell.

    Thanks Beaver

  • ste
    30 Dec 2013 2:24am

    Great to see menzies on the bench today for widnes against warrington...even though hes 40+ he`d be a great assett to the vikings.

  • Greg Hamill
    2 Jul 2014 7:47pm

    Steve Menzie was at the junior member clinic today and he is a utter professional and a gentleman, "thanks for the memories".

  • Anonymous
    4 Sep 2014 10:28am

    I have watched BEAVER play for years a great player go the mighty Manly Sea eagles

  • pitz. p
    31 Aug 2015 12:13pm

    Ive been a great fan of steve Menzies for a long time.. A gifted player and one of the best forwards in the world.. Beaver is a try scoring machine where only few or none can do.. He is an individual and team performer.. I remember back in 94,95,96 seeing him playing along side cliffy lyon and nick kosef, their combination were great. Stever Menzies you are the best and a rugby league legend...

  • jack
    31 Dec 2015 7:10pm

    He was a great, great player.
    Real Legend

  • Rhys Sullivan
    5 Sep 2018 11:16am

    20 years, 475 games, 230 tries... When will we ever see someons like that again?

  • Anonymous
    12 Jul 2019 10:44pm

    Should be a immortal did everything in rugby league. What a legend

  • Brendan Joicey
    17 Aug 2019 5:49pm

    What a legend the Beaver was and is. So much so that I am going dressed as the Beaver to a dress up as your favourite human party tonight. Gets nowhere near the credit he deserves in the game.

  • Datz
    8 Feb 2020 7:56pm

    Remember watching his first few games as a 19 y old I in 1993 and saying to friends “this guy is gonna be a special player one day”. The next year in 94 he finished top try scorer and just kept getting better. As the top try scoring forward in history he’s proven himself to be a legend.
    Thanks for the memories Beaver

  • Anonymous
    12 Mar 2020 9:59pm

    A pleasure to watch and a nice man to boot does. Not need to be a second Referee.

  • Anonymous
    10 Oct 2021 7:52pm

    Definitely should be a immortal

  • Roger
    26 Jan 2024 1:35pm

    A good bloke

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Contributions: Rugby League Tables, Andrew Ferguson, Paul Carter, Greg Fiveash, Shawn Dollin, Max Turner, Alan Katzmann, AJ Lucantonio, Tim Costello, Bill Bates, Michael Borg

Sources: David Middleton's Rugby League Yearbook (1987-88 to present), Big League, 2006 Official Rugby League Annual, RFL Player Registers, Castleford Tigers Heritage