Mal Meninga

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'Big' Mal Meninga ( July 8, 1960 ) was a legendary Australian Rugby League centre.

Born in Bundaberg, Queensland, he is an Australian South Sea Islander, a descendant of plantation workers recruited or blackbirded to work in the sugar industry in Queensland in the late Nineteenth Century; he is an official spokesperson for the South Sea Islander community.

Meninga made his first grade debut at the age of 18 with Brisbane Souths

He played his first match for Queensland in 1979, then helped Queensland to a win in the first ever Rugby League State of Origin match against New South Wales in 1980 by kicking 7 goals from 7 attempts.

In 1986 he joined the Canberra Raiders and would go on to lead the side to their first premiership in 1989 by coming back to beat the highly fancied Balmain Tigers in the Grand Final. The following year Meninga lead the Raiders to another grand final victory this time against the Penrith Panthers. The Raiders would later honour him by naming the main grandstand at Canberra Stadium, the Mal Meninga Stand.

He also gained the captaincy of Australia, (23 test matches from 1990 till 1994), and he was QLD captain for 3 years from 1992-94.

His last game with the Canberra Raiders was the 1994 Grand Final where he led his team to victory over the Canterbury Bulldogs and to their third premiership in six years, scoring the last try of the match. On December 4, 1994 at Beziers, France he captained Australia to a 74-0 victory over the home team, scoring the final try of the game, and of his career.

He was appointed coach of the Raiders in 1997, succeeding three time winner Tim Sheens, to only moderate success. Matthew Elliott took over in 2002.

Meninga gained some unwanted notoriety in 2001, when an attempted political career lasted a mere 28 seconds. Becoming fazed in his first radio interview, he resigned on-air shortly after the broadcast commenced. This incident led to the satirical Chaser team instituting the Mal Award for their Election Chaser & The Chaser Decides televison shows; presented to politicians for embarrassing gaffes or outrageous statements.

Meninga left Canberra in 2005 to return to Queensland. He has been announced as the coach for Queensland's 2006 Rugby League State of Origin team.