constable at the time and would become one of Meninga's key mentors. Mal was actually a senior constable and 2IC PE instructor under Sergeant Wayne Bennett at the Queensland Police Academy during the early 80s. Playing career Meninga captained Australia for 23 Test matches between 1990 and 1994, and captained the Queensland State of Origin team for three years from 1992 to 1994. He remains the only player to captain two Kangaroo tours, in 1990 and 1994. I'd watch in awe as Mal pulverised the opposing defensive line with his bone-crunching runs. From the safety of my spot six or seven metres away from the action, I felt grateful that I didn't have to tackle him because his giant thighs were lethal weapons. Bill Harrigan Brisbane Meninga made his first grade début in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership at the age of 18 with Souths Magpies. He was selected to play for Brisbane in the 1979 Amco Cup, kicking a goal in the final which was lost to the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. Also, Meninga was first selected to play centre for Queensland in 1979, and the following year helped his state to win rugby league's first ever State of Origin match against New South Wales at Lang Park, kicking seven goals from seven attempts (Meninga was one of the last players to use the toe-poke kicking style rather than the more accurate around-the-corner style that was starting to take hold). That Origin game was on 8 July 1980, Meninga's 20th birthday. Later that year he played in the Magpies' BRL Premiership grand final loss, scoring a try and kicking 3 goals as the Magpies went down to Norths 17–15. However, in 1981 Meninga again reached the grand final with Souths who defeated the Redcliffe Dolphins 13–9. In 1982, he was named man-of-the-match in Game 1 of 1982 State of Origin series against New South Wales at Lang Park, and was later selected to make his test début for Australia in a test against New Zealand at the Sydney Cricket Ground, being the 540th player selected for Australia. Meninga had an unhappy game though, dislocating his elbow in the 28th minute after a crunching blindside tackle from Kiwi winger Dane O'Hara, while at the same time attempting to break a tackle from Kiwi fullback Gary Kemble. He soon recovered and played in the centres for Souths in their 17–3 loss to the