Playing Career
Vital Statistics
- Nickname(s)
- Beaver
- Born
- Tuesday, 4th December, 1973
- Current Age
- 50 years and 170 days
- Place Of Birth
- Manly, New South Wales, Australia
Awards & Accolades
- 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
Known Family Links
- Grandfather
- Mackie Campbell
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
All statistics shown in this section are based only on data available in the RLP database, and are not necessarily a complete and/or 100% accurate representation of a player's career. This information should be used as a guide only. If you see a question mark (?), it denotes that the figure is not available.
To view a list of corresponding matches, click on the List button.
Competitions | ||||||||||||||
Competition | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NSWRL/ARL/NRL Premiership | 349 | 180 | 1 | - | 722 | 196 | 149 | 4 | 56.16% | List | ||||
NSWRL/ARL/NRL Finals | 20 | 11 | 0 | - | 44 | 12 | 8 | 0 | 60.00% | List | ||||
Tour Matches | Australia | 11 | 9 | - | - | 36 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
Challenge Cup AU | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | ||||
City vs Country | 8 | 2 | - | - | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 50.00% | List | ||||
State of Origin | 20 | 4 | - | - | 16 | 9 | 10 | 1 | 45.00% | List | ||||
Test Series | 3 | 3 | - | - | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
World Cup | 4 | 6 | - | - | 24 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 75.00% | List | ||||
Anzac Tests | 2 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.00% | List | ||||
Super League | 120 | 54 | 1 | - | 218 | 57 | 59 | 4 | 47.50% | List | ||||
Challenge Cup | 8 | 5 | - | - | 20 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 50.00% | List | ||||
Super League Finals | 5 | 2 | - | - | 8 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 20.00% | List | ||||
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Test Matches - By Team | ||||||||||||||
Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
Australia | 1995-96, 1998, 2002, 2006 | 14 | 11 | - | - | 44 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 85.71% | List | |||
International Matches - By Team | ||||||||||||||
Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
Australia | 1995-1997 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
World Cup Matches - By Team | ||||||||||||||
Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
Australia | 1995 | 4 | 6 | - | - | 24 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 75.00% | List | |||
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Australia - By Team | ||||||||||||||
Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
NSW | 1995-98, 2001-02, 2005-06 | 20 | 4 | - | - | 16 | 9 | 10 | 1 | 45.00% | List | |||
NSW City | 1995-97, 2001-05 | 8 | 2 | - | - | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 50.00% | List | |||
Overall | 1995-2006 | 28 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 13 | 14 | 1 | 46.43% | List | |||
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NSWRL/ARL/NRL Premiership - By Year | ||||||||||||||
Team | Season | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
Manly | NSWRL 1993 | 6 | - | - | - | - | 6 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
Manly | NSWRL 1994 | 23 | 16 | - | - | 64 | 16 | 6 | 1 | 69.57% | List | |||
Manly | ARL 1995 | 25 | 22 | - | - | 88 | 22 | 3 | 0 | 88.00% | List | |||
Manly | ARL 1996 | 24 | 20 | - | - | 80 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 83.33% | List | |||
Manly | ARL 1997 | 25 | 13 | - | - | 52 | 17 | 6 | 2 | 68.00% | List | |||
Manly | NRL 1998 | 25 | 20 | - | - | 80 | 13 | 12 | 0 | 52.00% | List | |||
Manly | NRL 1999 | 22 | 13 | - | - | 52 | 9 | 12 | 1 | 40.91% | List | |||
Northern Eagles | NRL 2000 | 24 | 6 | - | - | 24 | 9 | 15 | 0 | 37.50% | List | |||
Northern Eagles | NRL 2001 | 23 | 12 | - | - | 48 | 9 | 14 | 0 | 39.13% | List | |||
Northern Eagles | NRL 2002 | 22 | 11 | - | - | 44 | 9 | 13 | 0 | 40.91% | List | |||
Manly | NRL 2003 | 24 | 7 | - | - | 28 | 7 | 17 | 0 | 29.17% | List | |||
Manly | NRL 2004 | 23 | 8 | - | - | 32 | 9 | 14 | 0 | 39.13% | List | |||
Manly | NRL 2005 | 23 | 7 | - | - | 28 | 12 | 11 | 0 | 52.17% | List | |||
Manly | NRL 2006 | 19 | 4 | - | - | 16 | 9 | 10 | 0 | 47.37% | List | |||
Manly | NRL 2007 | 15 | 8 | 1 | / | 1 | 100.00% | - | 34 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 66.67% | List |
Manly | NRL 2008 | 26 | 13 | 0 | / | 1 | 0.00% | - | 52 | 19 | 7 | 0 | 73.08% | List |
NSWRL/ARL/NRL Premiership - By Team | ||||||||||||||
Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
Manly | 1993-99, 2003-08 | 280 | 151 | 1 | / | 2 | 50.00% | - | 606 | 169 | 107 | 4 | 60.36% | List |
Northern Eagles | 2000-02 | 69 | 29 | - | - | 116 | 27 | 42 | 0 | 39.13% | List | |||
Overall | 1993-2008 | 349 | 180 | 1 | / | 2 | 50.00% | 0 | 722 | 196 | 149 | 4 | 56.16% | List |
English Career - By Year | ||||||||||||||
Team | Season | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
Bradford | 2009 | 27 | 13 | - | - | 52 | 11 | 15 | 1 | 40.74% | List | |||
Bradford | 2010 | 30 | 15 | 1 | - | 62 | 11 | 18 | 1 | 36.67% | List | |||
Catalans | 2011 | 23 | 14 | - | - | 64 | 14 | 11 | 0 | 60.87% | List | |||
Catalans | 2012 | 22 | 9 | - | - | 36 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 63.64% | List | |||
Catalans | 2013 | 26 | 8 | - | - | 32 | 12 | 13 | 2 | 46.15% | List | |||
English Career - By Team | ||||||||||||||
Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
Bradford | 2009-10 | 57 | 28 | 1 | - | 114 | 22 | 33 | 2 | 38.60% | List | |||
Catalans | 2011-13 | 71 | 31 | - | - | 132 | 39 | 30 | 2 | 54.93% | List | |||
Overall | 2009-2013 | 128 | 59 | 1 | 0 | 246 | 61 | 63 | 4 | 47.66% | List |
Contributions:
Andrew Ferguson, Rugby League Tables, Shawn Dollin, AJ Lucantonio, Paul Carter, Greg Fiveash, Alan Katzmann, Bill Bates, Max Turner, Tim Costello
Sources:
David Middleton's Rugby League Yearbook (1987-88 to present), 2006 Official Rugby League Annual
Your Say
12/02/2012
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 !!
07/05/2012
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..
13/05/2012
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.
20/09/2013
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!
10/10/2013
What a player he has been. Longevity in a nutshell.
Thanks Beaver
30/12/2013
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.
02/07/2014
Steve Menzie was at the junior member clinic today and he is a utter professional and a gentleman, "thanks for the memories".
04/09/2014
I have watched BEAVER play for years a great player go the mighty Manly Sea eagles
31/08/2015
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...
31/12/2015
He was a great, great player.
Real Legend
05/09/2018
20 years, 475 games, 230 tries... When will we ever see someons like that again?
12/07/2019
Should be a immortal did everything in rugby league. What a legend
17/08/2019
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.
08/02/2020
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
12/03/2020
A pleasure to watch and a nice man to boot does. Not need to be a second Referee.
10/10/2021
Definitely should be a immortal
26/01/2024
A good bloke
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