Mal Meninga demands pride, passion and respect for the green and gold shirt from Kangaroos

PRIDE and passion for the green and gold jumper — that’s what Australia coach MAL MENINGA told PHIL ROTHFIELD he wants from the Kangaroos most.

THE story that best sums up Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga’s respect and pride in a football jersey occurred during the Brisbane flood disaster of January 2011.

As mud and storm waters surged through stricken suburbs, the storage unit where Meninga’s 15-year collection of footy memorabilia was all but destroyed.

Everything but more than 100 of his cherished old jerseys from 46 Tests, 32 appearances for QLD and 166 games for the Canberra Raiders

“I’d kept nearly all of them, apart from the few I swapped after Test matches,” Meninga said.

“Then in the flood the whole storage precinct at Rocklea went under water and that’s all I could save ... my jerseys. I lost magazines, photos, newspaper clippings and some framed memorabilia.”

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When recovered in the clean-up, the jerseys were almost unrecognisable.

“They were filthy,” Meninga said, “So one by one I got them commercially dry-cleaned,” he explained.

This is a story gives you an idea of what Meninga is all about in his role as coach of the Australian rugby league team. Pride, respect and passion for the green and gold jumper.

For the years as State of Origin became the showpiece event on the rugby league calendar, the Maroons and the Blues jerseys became the pinnacle of the code.

The Australian jersey was relegated to third.

Not anymore. Not since Meninga replaced old coach Tim Sheens after three straight Test match losses in 2015, his appointment one of the few smart moves the ARL commission has made since coming into power.

From day one this was not just about coaching the best 17 footballers in the country but restoring pride back into the Kangaroos jersey and creating a culture where to wear the green and gold meant more than anything else in rugby league.

Mal Meninga wants to instil a greater sense of pride in the Australia jersey. Photo: Gregg Porteous

THE VALUES

There’s one quote in this interview that sums up Meninga’s emotional attachment to being the Australian rugby league coach.

“We love the game, we love the jersey and we don’t want to let our mates down.”

When he started before the Anzac Test in Newcastle last year, he got the players together for a long discussion about where they wanted to be. Every player had an input.

Previously as Mal says: “The language around our game was all about State of Origin. He’s with the Blues, he’s with the Maroons. The players felt we’d lost the aura of the jersey.

“I explained from a personal position, when you finish your career you look back and know you were the very best player of your time in your position from your Australian jerseys.

It was about becoming an ambassador and accepting the responsibility.

“Every player bought into it and now they want to live by it. And it’s also about how we carry ourselves away from the team structure.

“We’re custodians of the jersey and we inspire others to wear it.”

At the meeting they agreed on four basic principles for the Kangaroos DNA and a new catchcry called Rise.

Respect: “We are the Kangaroos. We fight for who we are and where we come from and never ever take a backward step.”

Inspire: “We uphold the tradition of the jersey, its values and carry the aura of our predecessors since 1908.”

Selfless: “Better people make better Kangaroos. We are inclusive and ensure the team always comes first.”

Excellence: We are committed to being the best we can be for our teammates and our country.”

THE ODE

The words it was built around began in a recovery ward last year in a London Hospital before the Four Nations final.

Sam Thaiday was there with a broken cheekbone on a morphine drip. And he started handwriting (with a few spelling mistakes) what is now the ode.

“We’ve had to add to it a bit but when Sam came back into camp before the final, he read it to the team.

“It went down unbelievably good. The players were emotionally absorbed in it. And then we played accordingly. From here on it is going to be synonymous with everything we do.”

Even 25,000 copies, signed by Meninga, will be placed on seats for the Australian fans on Friday night. The word ‘Rise’ is now on the back of every jersey under the players’ number.

Remember Billy Moore and the legendary old “Queenslander” catchcry? Well, this current Australian team now scream “Rise” in certain situations.

Like “Queenslander” it’s used only in desperate circumstances on the field. Maybe defending the line and taking you’re third line drop-out in a row. Or the opposition is pumped and on the march. In situations where every player needs to lift.

Mal sits down with Buzz to discuss his Kangaroos management. Photo: Gregg Porteous

WINNING OVER SYDNEY

Sydney has only one Kangaroos game — against Lebanon — in the World Cup at the end of the season. The city does not support the Australian rugby league team like the old days.

Only 24,000 turned up for the last Test three years ago. The game now uses Brisbane, Melbourne, Newcastle or Canberra as the preferred venues. It’s almost too embarrassing to use Sydney venues because of the lack of support.

It’s something Meninga wants to change.

“My first Test was running onto the Sydney Cricket Ground in ’82,” he said, “It was such a memorable occasion.

“It is a bit sad and tragic. Hopefully we can change the perception of our footy team. I hope the green and gold jersey can help propagate the game both locally and overseas.

“My vision is we want all people to watch the Kangaroos. Like they do the All Blacks wherever they play around the World. And Sydney is very important to us.”

THE COACH

Meninga is a whole lot more than a game-day footy coach.

I touched on it years ago in a controversial column about his role with the QLD team. Without being disrespectful, he’s a figurehead as much as a tactician. His leadership is more important than any game plan.

“We collectively do the tactics,” he says, “The team gets involved. At this level they’ve got great nous and football intellect. We’ll come up with a theme for the week and go for it.

“This is different to club coaching,” he said, “They already understand the game really well. You can’t be demanding this and demanding that.”

Mal with wife Amanda and children (l-r) Zac, 3, Elijah, 4, and Eva, 18 months. Photo: Claudia Baxter

HAVING THREE TODDLERS

Mal is now 56 years of age. It’s a time when a lot of men are starting to find the enjoyment of having grandchildren. But the footy legend has three little ones of his own — four, three and 18 months.

It can be a tough gig with three under five — but he loves it. It’s the soft side of a rugby league giants we rarely see.

“It can become a bit hectic — ask any parents raising young children — but I really enjoy it,” he says.

“Amanda’s been great and we have a babysitter, which helps. And the nappies? Waking up in the middle of the night? It’s easy-peasy.

“My wife says because I’m getting older I don’t need as much sleep. It’s not as if I’m coaching every minute of the day at a club. I’ve got the time to help raise the kids.”

THE TEAM

Meninga has defended the selection of several out-of-form players in the team to meet New Zealand in Canberra on Friday night.

“I picked this team based on reward and acknowledgment of what they did in England. Especially with the short turnaround. It was the common sense practical thing to do.

“It doesn’t mean to say the players in this team are guaranteed being in the World Cup squad.”

I suggest that Penrith Trent Merrin is extremely lucky to be there.

“Yes, he’s been the talk of the town,” Meninga said.

“I made my judgment based on what he did in the Four Nations. How good he was around the team. Plus I don’t think he’s been that bad at a struggling club. You have faith and belief in certain players and Trent’s one of them.”

Cameron Smith remains an inspirational skipper for the Kangaroos.

SMITH’S 50th TEST

I ask Meninga to rate his skipper Cameron Smith among the all-time greats on the eve of his 50th Test. He will be just three behind all-time record holder Darren Lockyer.

Is he as good as Wally Lewis, an Immortal and QLD’s greatest ever?

“I think he on the same echelon as Wally, he says, “You’ve also got John (Thurston), Darren Lockyer … he’s certainly the best hooker we’ve ever seen.

“I like that he’s old school too — he doesn’t mind a beer after a game. He’s smart. He’s intelligent and his decision- making is nearly flawless and he’s very inspirational through what he does.

“He goes to dummy-half, he makes all the decisions, he kicks and he’s resilient. I think he’s only missed three or four games in his entire career.

THE TEST

Everything with the Australian side is now about respecting our proud history.

The Kangaroos' Ode, as written by Sam Thaiday and Mal Meninga.

Much of the Kangaroos memorabilia from the NRL museum is being transported to Canberra for the Test preparations. It will be set up in meeting room at the team hotel.

The names of Australia’s team of the century will be on each locker in the dressing shed as a reminder of past champions who have worn the jumper. Every future debutant will be given a booklet with their names etched in gold by a calligrapher.

The jersey has been clean skin since Holden withdrew its sponsorship in 2015. Mal and the players actually like it that way. Like you wouldn’t put a VB or Commonwealth Bank logo on cricket’s Baggy Green.

“There are other ways they can commercialise the Kangaroos with merchandise, signage, licensing and memberships,” he says.

“We’ve built a DNA, and if someone’s going to get involved with us, they’ve got to be of the same values.”