Where is mal meninga from

Malcolm Mal Meninga AM b. A descendant of Melanesian people coerced into labouring in Queensland in the late s, Meninga made his professional rugby league debut in Brisbane at eighteen.

First selected for Queensland at nineteen, he played in the Maroons squad that won the inaugural State of Origin fixture against New South Wales in , scoring seven goals from seven attempts. He went on to play in 32 State of Origin contests, amassing points.

In all, he represented Australia on 86 occasions, including in 46 tests, 23 of these as captain. Meanwhile, he worked as a police officer and played five seasons in the Queensland first grade competition before joining the Canberra Raiders in Appointed coach of the Queensland State of Origin side in late , he led them to an unprecedented eight consecutive series wins — before departing to coach the Kangaroos in To date, Meninga is the only player to have been selected for four consecutive Kangaroos tours , , , and While it is often said there are no secrets in rugby league, the recently revealed story of how Big Mal almost became a legend of the Indigenous game was one that somehow managed to sneak through the cracks of public knowledge.

The record-breaking captain and coach of Queensland and Australia is very proudly of South Sea Island descent, his ancestors coming to Australia from Tanna, in the Vanuatu island group to work on Queensland cane farms. While the great Arthur Beetson was deservedly the first name chosen in the No. Commemorative jerseys were created to be presented to each of the players, or their families, chosen as being among the best 17 Indigenous players to have played the game. To help keep our visitors and staff safe, please book your spot before visiting.

The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people. Mal Meninga Centre Inductee Player Bio. Inducted: Date of Birth: 08 July Birthplace: Bundaberg, QLD. Nickname: -. Debut Team: Southern Suburbs. Date: 18 February Opposition: Brothers. Venue: Davies Park, South Brisbane. Representative: Combined Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

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