Meninga’s major move to end 30-year NRL drought
NRL immortal and the three-time premiership-winning Canberra Raiders captain Mal Meninga launched straight in to a campaign selling the virtues of his old home town for prospective recruits after confirming his club return to push the green machine to its next title.
Meninga, a former Raiders and Queensland State of Origin coach and current mentor for the Australian team, will with the club in a “variety of initiatives and programs” and declared he would help out “in any way I can”.
His role could mirror the role he played for five years at the Gold Coast Titans from 2018-2023, a period that ended with the sacking of coach Justin Holbrook.
Meninga will have his fingerprints on things including recruitment and retention of players, mentoring and leadership.
Canberra has not won an NRL premiership since 1994, when Meninga was captain, reaching only one decider since then, in 2019, going down to the Sydney Roosters but he’s adamant success is close.
“It’s a very exciting time I think for the club,“ he said.
“It really is a very good young roster, and I look forward to being around and helping out in any way I can.
“Something that you get out of being here and being part of this club is that you’re never forgotten, which is really important. History plays a really important part in the DNA of this club.”
Welcome home Mal 💚
Details: https://t.co/EgRkc9Ck4h#WeAreRaiderspic.twitter.com/2nmufxX2j6— Canberra Raiders (@RaidersCanberra) July 24, 2024
Meninga had one of the most decorated playing careers in Raiders history, playing in five grand finals and captaining the team to three premierships in his 166 club matches. He was also head coach for four years, from 1997-2001 and said the “psyche” around Canberra as a destination was misguided hoping the Raiders could again become a destination club having endured a golden run when he was playing.
“When I was growing up, I never thought I’d live in Canberra,” he said, having joined the Raiders from Queensland.
“But Canberra’s one of those spots I’ve loved being at. It’s a great place to bring up kids, it’s a great place from a quality of life point of view and I really enjoy being here.
“There’s that psyche around cold and what Canberra is from a DNA point of view, with the public servants and the politicians. That’s the way the media talks about it; Canberra this and Canberra that - all the wrong reasons.”
The Raiders are 10th on the NRL ladder, with eight wins, having bowed out in the opening week of the 2023 finals.