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Manly’s fame gamers
Lyons, Menzies among four Eagles in line for honour
Cliff Lyons, watched by Steve Menzies, gets his pass away despite heavy Warriors defence in 1998 and (above) Menzies congratulates his mate Cliffy after Lyons’ last game for Manly at Brookvale Oval on August 16 1998.
MANLY legends Steve Menzies and Cliff Lyons are in line to be included in the Rugby League Hall of Fame.
This follows the announcement of 25 players from which six new inclusions will be chosen to join the 100 previously named.
Menzies and Lyons have impeccable credentials and are on most experts’ lists to be added to the hall of fame.
The two premiership winners, NSW and Australian representatives have been hailed as one of the most potent attacking partnerships in the history of the game.
The agile, rangy and fast Menzies followed the wily Lyons everywhere on the field and the result was the greatest try-scoring forward in the game’s history.
“Lyons to Menzies and another try to the Sea Eagles,” was a common call from commentators during their illustrious careers.
The pair played consecutive grand finals together under coach Bob Fulton in 1995, 1996 and 1997 at Manly.
Fulton, one of the original Immortals, is immensely proud of both players.
“To have a local junior out of Harbord United come into the Manly side and perform like Steve Menzies did for so long is the dream for every club,” he said. “Class player, class person and a role model in every sense.
“As for Cliffy, players like him are a rarity. I knew how good he was, which is why I made changes in the Australian side when we lost the first Test against England in 1990.
Lyons came in and sparked the side to a superb, come-from-behind win at Old Trafford in Manchester in the second Test.”
Other Manly players named in the 25 were former rugby league-rugby union international centre Michael O’Connor and Manly’s first captain-coach, Wally O’Connell.
O’Connor was a silky centre who made the transition from union to league with ease while O’Connell captained of the 1948 Kangaroos.
O’Connell had to sit out a season because he didn’t qualify under the then residential rule, where a player had to live in the district in which he played. O’Connell was an Eastern Suburbs great and lived in the district until his death last year at 90
He was credited with greatly helping a teenage Bob Fulton learn about five eighth play when he first joined the Sea Eagles..
WHAT A CATCH UP
THE team that controlled rugby league in NSW in the glory days of the 80s and 90s, before the Super League war, gathered for a lunch in the city on Wednesday.
They included great mates Ken Arthurson, John Quayle and Colin Love.
They have remained close from their time together at the then NSW Rugby League. All joined a big turnout of past players and officials at the funeral service on Thursday for Bob Abbott, who worked for many years under the leadership of Quayle and Arthurson.
GOOD RECORD
II’S Manly v the Roosters tomorrow at Allianz Stadium and, despite a form slump, don’t write off the Sea Eagles.
Manly have a great recent record against the Roosters despite being outsiders in all the past six played.
Manly have won five of the six, including two wins last season.
Much will depend on the battle of the big men upfront but the performances of Manly centres Brian Kelly and Moses Suli will have a big bearing on the match.
They will need to contain the Roosters’ young gun centre Latrell Mitchell, who is headed for Origin and international honours.
VERSATILE KIWI
GOOD to see utility player Lewis Brown provide some spark off the bench in last week’s loss to Newcastle.
Watch for the New Zealand international to slot in at hooker, five-eighth or centre against the Roosters today.
Lyons, Menzies among four Eagles in line for honour
Cliff Lyons, watched by Steve Menzies, gets his pass away despite heavy Warriors defence in 1998 and (above) Menzies congratulates his mate Cliffy after Lyons’ last game for Manly at Brookvale Oval on August 16 1998.
MANLY legends Steve Menzies and Cliff Lyons are in line to be included in the Rugby League Hall of Fame.
This follows the announcement of 25 players from which six new inclusions will be chosen to join the 100 previously named.
Menzies and Lyons have impeccable credentials and are on most experts’ lists to be added to the hall of fame.
The two premiership winners, NSW and Australian representatives have been hailed as one of the most potent attacking partnerships in the history of the game.
The agile, rangy and fast Menzies followed the wily Lyons everywhere on the field and the result was the greatest try-scoring forward in the game’s history.
“Lyons to Menzies and another try to the Sea Eagles,” was a common call from commentators during their illustrious careers.
The pair played consecutive grand finals together under coach Bob Fulton in 1995, 1996 and 1997 at Manly.
Fulton, one of the original Immortals, is immensely proud of both players.
“To have a local junior out of Harbord United come into the Manly side and perform like Steve Menzies did for so long is the dream for every club,” he said. “Class player, class person and a role model in every sense.
“As for Cliffy, players like him are a rarity. I knew how good he was, which is why I made changes in the Australian side when we lost the first Test against England in 1990.
Lyons came in and sparked the side to a superb, come-from-behind win at Old Trafford in Manchester in the second Test.”
Other Manly players named in the 25 were former rugby league-rugby union international centre Michael O’Connor and Manly’s first captain-coach, Wally O’Connell.
O’Connor was a silky centre who made the transition from union to league with ease while O’Connell captained of the 1948 Kangaroos.
O’Connell had to sit out a season because he didn’t qualify under the then residential rule, where a player had to live in the district in which he played. O’Connell was an Eastern Suburbs great and lived in the district until his death last year at 90
He was credited with greatly helping a teenage Bob Fulton learn about five eighth play when he first joined the Sea Eagles..
WHAT A CATCH UP
THE team that controlled rugby league in NSW in the glory days of the 80s and 90s, before the Super League war, gathered for a lunch in the city on Wednesday.
They included great mates Ken Arthurson, John Quayle and Colin Love.
They have remained close from their time together at the then NSW Rugby League. All joined a big turnout of past players and officials at the funeral service on Thursday for Bob Abbott, who worked for many years under the leadership of Quayle and Arthurson.
GOOD RECORD
II’S Manly v the Roosters tomorrow at Allianz Stadium and, despite a form slump, don’t write off the Sea Eagles.
Manly have a great recent record against the Roosters despite being outsiders in all the past six played.
Manly have won five of the six, including two wins last season.
Much will depend on the battle of the big men upfront but the performances of Manly centres Brian Kelly and Moses Suli will have a big bearing on the match.
They will need to contain the Roosters’ young gun centre Latrell Mitchell, who is headed for Origin and international honours.
VERSATILE KIWI
GOOD to see utility player Lewis Brown provide some spark off the bench in last week’s loss to Newcastle.
Watch for the New Zealand international to slot in at hooker, five-eighth or centre against the Roosters today.
