All the best Beaver

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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."
 
Dan i made sure there was no copy rights first before i posted this article mate as i had to type it all out word for word.

I would like to wish Beaver and his family all the very best during their stay in England. Man it's hard seeing Beaver in another teams colours even though he is in the ESL now.
 
I just wisht he bloke all the best, I am going to miss his name around the club. Lets hope that after next season he comes back to work with Manly in some capacity, as a trainer, tackling coach or whatever
 
Agree I'm sure the club will have him on the books doing something at the club. You couldn't keep a legend like the great Beaver away from the peninsula for to long i wouldn't think.
 
cant wait to see the great man play one last time in feb.

wtf about gartner low profile at his peak he wasnt far off beav and kosef
 
Gartner was a brilliant player. The Gartner, Kosef and Menzies were unstoppable. Its a shame both Kosef and Gartner were cut down early by injury
 
Yeah the Manly 96 GF side was a great side that's for sure. Brilliant in defence the best ever seen from a Rugby League side since 1908 not sure if that record was broken from the peels in 2001 ?
 
Not sure. The records the Eels broke were more about point-scoring than defence. The Roosters defence in '02 was fairly impressive though?
 
eagle_predator link said:
Yeah the Manly 96 GF side was a great side that's for sure. Brilliant in defence the best ever seen from a Rugby League side since 1908 not sure if that record was broken from the peels in 2001 ?

Mate just watched the 87 and 96 GF's they were perfect mate, no worries at all.

Caroll had to be one of teh hardest runners of the ball there was, he just went at full speed and didnt stop until he was stopped.

Crusher was just awesome at knowing where to be to receive the ball, he was awesome

Gartner was just an awesome player, sad knee injuries slowed him down, he was incredible in the 96 final
 
Kosef was one of the best players in any era I ever saw and again it is such a shame that injury cut his career short and stopped him reaching his level of greatness. Great views of the 87 and 96 Grand Final over the last couple of days - I have loved seeing both games. Heck we were dominant then, though 40 - nil was just the icing on the cake!!!
 
dominant in those times yes - putting it all together and playing as a team to your peak - that was this year
 
Gartner was my favourite player back in the 90's, he was just as good as his backrow partners imo. 
 
Dan link said:
[quote author=eagle_predator link=topic=178963.msg203975#msg203975 date=1228442239]
Yeah the Manly 96 GF side was a great side that's for sure. Brilliant in defence the best ever seen from a Rugby League side since 1908 not sure if that record was broken from the peels in 2001 ?

Glad to hear that Dan

Mate just watched the 87 and 96 GF's they were perfect mate, no worries at all.

Caroll had to be one of teh hardest runners of the ball there was, he just went at full speed and didnt stop until he was stopped.

Crusher was just awesome at knowing where to be to receive the ball, he was awesome

Gartner was just an awesome player, sad knee injuries slowed him down, he was incredible in the 96 final
[/quote]
 
Team P W L PD Pts
3 3 0 48 6
4 3 1 28 6
3 2 1 10 6
4 2 2 39 4
3 2 1 28 4
3 2 1 15 4
3 2 1 14 4
2 1 1 13 4
2 1 1 6 4
3 2 1 -3 4
3 1 2 0 2
3 1 2 -5 2
3 1 2 -15 2
3 1 2 -22 2
3 1 2 -36 2
2 0 2 -56 2
3 0 3 -64 0
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