eagle_predator
Bencher
RLW NRL 2009 PREVIEW EDITION.
BEAVER FEVER
[img=264x400]http://i35.tinypic.com/2hhk3zb.jpg[/img]
Manly great Steve Menzies has already made a big impression at new club Bradford...and he hasn't even played for them yet.
The English Super League giants offered Menzies a long off-season break after his grand final heroics for Manly, telling him he could report for pre-season training at the end of December.
But The Beaver stunned Bradford coaching staff by jetting over in mid-November to ensure he hits the ground running in his swansong season before he finally brings the curtain down on his long and glittering career.
"He wanted to come over early," Bradford football director Stuart Duffy reveals.
"He wanted to meet the players and start early - he's already impressed everyone with his attitude.
"Everyone here is really excited, there's a buzz about the place.
"Season ticket sales have been going really well, too."
Menzies will fly back to Australia for a week-long break at Christmas before he and his family leave sun-kissed Manly for the freezing north of England.
Bulls forward Glenn Morrison already has one piece of history in his personal haul of memorabilia and is hoping to add another- a Challenge Cup or grand final winners' medal-before he hangs up the boots at the end of next year.
"I've respected Steve for a long time, and we actually switched jerseys after a Country-City game once so I've got one of his rep jerseys," says Morrison, the former Tigers, Cowboys and Eels workhorse.
"I came through in 1996 (with Balmain) and Menzies was already a Test player then and he'd been on the scene a while.
"He's a legend of the game - I'm looking forward to playing alongside him."
Morrison's wife Robyn, a former star of TV soap Neighbours, has already emailed the Menzies clan with tips to help them settle in to the English way of life.
"I can't see him having any problems," Morrison adds. "The hardest thing about moving over here is the little things - which phone company to use, where the shops are, things like that.
"He's going to be living pretty close to a couple of his old Manly mates (Leeds pair Kylie Leuluai and Scott Donald) so he'll have no shortage of friends.
"The footy's pretty good here, though he may struggle with some of the accents!
"I couldn't understand some of the blokes when I first got here.
"Even now, when our hooker Terry Newton says something it takes a while for me to work out what he's on about."
Menzies, 35 in December, also steals the tag of the oldest player at the club from 32-year-old Morrison. The next in line is David Solomona at 30.
"Age isn't an issue, he's proved he's still a class act," Morrison adds.
Those three forwards-Menzies,Morrison and Solomona - are shaping as the players with whom Bradford can mount a genuine resurgence in 2009.
The Yorkshire giants have been one of Super League's most successful clubs but haven't won a trophy in three years since Steve McNamara took over the coaching reins from Wigan's Brian Noble.
Bradford have lost pivotal player like Robbie Paul, Shontayne Hape, Lesley Vainikolo and Joe Vagana in recent seasons and, for a club that has relied so heavily on the influence of Kiwi Test stars in the past, they are the unusual position of pinning their hopes on a big-name Australian recruit.
"Steve's certainly one of the most high-profile Aussies we've ever had," Duffy says.
"The club has had some big -name Kiwis.
"With the Australians, we've tended to go for good players but lower-profiles ones like Daniel Gartner, Michael Withers...they've been great for the club but we've never really had anyone of Steve's profile or experience.
"Everyone's looking forward to seeing him play."
BEAVER FEVER
[img=264x400]http://i35.tinypic.com/2hhk3zb.jpg[/img]
Manly great Steve Menzies has already made a big impression at new club Bradford...and he hasn't even played for them yet.
The English Super League giants offered Menzies a long off-season break after his grand final heroics for Manly, telling him he could report for pre-season training at the end of December.
But The Beaver stunned Bradford coaching staff by jetting over in mid-November to ensure he hits the ground running in his swansong season before he finally brings the curtain down on his long and glittering career.
"He wanted to come over early," Bradford football director Stuart Duffy reveals.
"He wanted to meet the players and start early - he's already impressed everyone with his attitude.
"Everyone here is really excited, there's a buzz about the place.
"Season ticket sales have been going really well, too."
Menzies will fly back to Australia for a week-long break at Christmas before he and his family leave sun-kissed Manly for the freezing north of England.
Bulls forward Glenn Morrison already has one piece of history in his personal haul of memorabilia and is hoping to add another- a Challenge Cup or grand final winners' medal-before he hangs up the boots at the end of next year.
"I've respected Steve for a long time, and we actually switched jerseys after a Country-City game once so I've got one of his rep jerseys," says Morrison, the former Tigers, Cowboys and Eels workhorse.
"I came through in 1996 (with Balmain) and Menzies was already a Test player then and he'd been on the scene a while.
"He's a legend of the game - I'm looking forward to playing alongside him."
Morrison's wife Robyn, a former star of TV soap Neighbours, has already emailed the Menzies clan with tips to help them settle in to the English way of life.
"I can't see him having any problems," Morrison adds. "The hardest thing about moving over here is the little things - which phone company to use, where the shops are, things like that.
"He's going to be living pretty close to a couple of his old Manly mates (Leeds pair Kylie Leuluai and Scott Donald) so he'll have no shortage of friends.
"The footy's pretty good here, though he may struggle with some of the accents!
"I couldn't understand some of the blokes when I first got here.
"Even now, when our hooker Terry Newton says something it takes a while for me to work out what he's on about."
Menzies, 35 in December, also steals the tag of the oldest player at the club from 32-year-old Morrison. The next in line is David Solomona at 30.
"Age isn't an issue, he's proved he's still a class act," Morrison adds.
Those three forwards-Menzies,Morrison and Solomona - are shaping as the players with whom Bradford can mount a genuine resurgence in 2009.
The Yorkshire giants have been one of Super League's most successful clubs but haven't won a trophy in three years since Steve McNamara took over the coaching reins from Wigan's Brian Noble.
Bradford have lost pivotal player like Robbie Paul, Shontayne Hape, Lesley Vainikolo and Joe Vagana in recent seasons and, for a club that has relied so heavily on the influence of Kiwi Test stars in the past, they are the unusual position of pinning their hopes on a big-name Australian recruit.
"Steve's certainly one of the most high-profile Aussies we've ever had," Duffy says.
"The club has had some big -name Kiwis.
"With the Australians, we've tended to go for good players but lower-profiles ones like Daniel Gartner, Michael Withers...they've been great for the club but we've never really had anyone of Steve's profile or experience.
"Everyone's looking forward to seeing him play."