Country v state: Meninga weighs in on Madge’s coaching tug of war
Mal Meninga gave up being the Queensland Origin coach to take the Kangaroos job. But he believes his New Zealand counterpart, Michael Maguire, can juggle both the Kiwis and NSW roles.
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Australia mentor Mal Meninga has backed Michael Maguire to juggle dual roles of coaching New Zealand and the NSW Origin team next season, dismissing claims of a conflict of interest.
Maguire will be hellbent on exacting revenge on Meninga for last year’s World Cup semi-final heartbreak when the Kiwis host the Kangaroos in Saturday’s Pacific Championships final in Hamilton.
But Maguire could face another political showdown with the New Zealand Rugby League in the wake of revelations he has been offered the NSW Origin post next season.
Maguire is keen to do both jobs and believes he can handle the twin demands of coaching the Kiwis and Blues, even if Meninga quit the Queensland Origin post in 2015 to ascend to the Australian role the following year.
Few know Origin coaching like Meninga, who won nine series in 10 years with the Maroons, and he is adamant Maguire should be given the green light to work with New Zealand and NSW.
“I think he can do it, ‘Madge’ (Maguire) is a great man,” Meninga said.
“He is New South Wales, he is born-and-bred from there, so if given the (NSW) job he would do a terrific job.
“Madge is a good rep coach so he would bring out the best of that NSW side, but it’s not my decision.”
The Blues are in disarray following a second consecutive series loss that led to the resignation of Brad Fittler and Maguire faces a huge challenge denying Billy Slater’s Maroons a hat-trick of titles in 2024.
The Kiwi coach faces an equally onerous task bringing down the might of the Kangaroos, who appear to have a psychological hold over New Zealand in big games.
The Kangaroos edged out New Zealand 16-14 in last year’s World Cup semi-final and will start hot favourites in the Pacific Championships decider after last week’s 36-18 rout at AAMI Park in Melbourne.
But Meninga is wary of a trans-Tasman ambush on Kiwi soil.
“They will chomping at the bit to get revenge,” Meninga said.
“There is no better feeling than redemption and they will come hard to get the ascendancy.
“You don’t want to see complacency in a footy team but I’m confident we won’t see any in our team.
“On the back of our success at the World Cup last year, we want to stay No. 1 and we want to win the inaugural Pacific Championships, we want our name on that trophy.”
Meanwhile, Meninga’s Australian halfback Daly Cherry-Evans insists he will not be forced into representative retirement as he prepares to engineer New Zealand’s downfall.
Having skippered Queensland to Origin glory this year, Cherry-Evans will look to cap a fine individual campaign with more silverware in the death-or-glory showdown with the Kiwis at Hamilton’s FMG Stadium.
Cherry-Evans plays his 21st Test for Australia and there is a view the veteran playmaker may not be seen in the green-and-gold again when champion Penrith and NSW No. 7 Nathan Cleary returns from injury.
Cherry-Evans turns 35 next February and while he accepts he was a late call-up after Cleary withdrew from this tournament due to a knee problem, ‘DCE’ is keen to soldier on for Queensland and Australia.
“I’m 34 and I know the time is coming (to retire), but I’m going to keep working hard and I’m going to squeeze every drop out of myself,” Cherry-Evans said ahead of his halfback duel with New Zealand ace Jahrome Hughes.
“I am going to be retired a long time, so if I can maximise my time as a player in the NRL, State of Origin and Test football, I will keep doing it, because it’s the best job in the world.
“I am really enjoying the game at the moment and as long as my body holds up, I will keep doing it.
“I will keep playing as long as I can.”
Age wearies many, but it’s not yet eroding Cherry-Evans.
The 305-game stalwart had an outstanding 2023 club campaign for Manly and has proved a classy replacement for Cleary in green-and-gold, orchestrating Australia’s 36-18 rout of the Kiwis last week in Melbourne.
Remarkably, Cherry-Evans’ international career began way back in 2011 and at an age when many NRL warriors are breaking down, the Kangaroos and Maroons schemer is obsessive about maximising his physical condition.
Cherry-Evans admits the benefits of sports science in the NRL can be offset by the sheer brutality of tackling monsters such as Kiwi big boppers James Fisher-Harris and 131kg Nelson Asofa-Solomona.
“I reckon there’s a counterbalance because of where the game has got to physically,” he said.
“If I don’t look after myself during the week, then I won’t give myself a chance to be good for a game.
“Because the game is so quick and physical now, it’s a huge toll as you get older. The athletes playing the game at the moment are physical freaks, so if I want to keep up with them, I have to look after myself.
“I can’t say there is one thing that gives my body grief. I just have to make sure it’s a continual process of looking after my body. There’s a lot of science at my disposal now so I take advantage of it all.
“There is a bit of wear and tear there and I’m getting a bit older, but if I stay smart, I can be ahead of the game.”
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