40 years to the day since Mal Meninga made his Saints debut

Although time rolls on and plenty of success has come Saints’ way in the Super League era – the memories of Big Mal’s impact during the 1984-85 season still burn brightly for fans of a certain generation.

And there is a good reason for that, too, with Meninga’s arrival that autumn coming at a time when Saints had experienced a tough seven-year trophy drought from 1977 with crowds plummeting year-on-year to around the 3-4,000 mark.

They were tough times, but they say the darker the night the brighter the star – and none shone brighter than Meninga when he first strode out at Knowsley Road in October 1984 for his debut against Castleford.

He made an immediate impact, thundering through for two tries and kicking a goal.

The 7,366 gate may not seem much in modern terms, but that was double the norm for such a Saints fixture back then. For context Saints' previous home league fixture against Featherstone had drawn in just 4,296.  

Meninga was the catalyst for not just the team, but for getting the town back talking rugby again.

His presence was the vital cog making the whole team purr, transforming it from nearly men to winners with a dashing brand of champagne rugby delivering two pots – the Lancashire Cup and the Premiership.

(Image: Eddie Whittham)

Meninga would go on to score 28 tries from 31 Championship and knockout cup games.

In a previous interview with the Star on his last visit, Meninga said: “I am totally overwhelmed by the reaction every time I return to be honest.

“It is nearly 40 years ago and I only played here for just eight months.

“I knew nothing of the past history when I arrived, but I had a wonderful time here; the experience was great, the community was fantastic and I have fond memories of the people I played with.

“My time in St Helens will always hold a special place in my heart and my mind.”

Rugby league fans in Britain knew only too well what the big Queenslander would bring to the party, having witnessed his destructive powers as part of the Australian Invincibles who had gone through the 1982 tour of Britain and France undefeated.

(Image: Eddie Whittham)

The rest of the league had signed members of that Green and Gold machine on short term contracts – Peter Sterling had gone to Hull, Brett Kenny had joined Wigan and Leeds had signed Eric Grothe but Saints were content that they had got the pick of the bunch.

The fact that St Helens folk still tell Meninga tales underlines they had witnessed something special.

Take your pick - that Lancashire Cup Final hand-off on Shaun Edwards at Central Park, the two Elland Road intercepts, that shoulder into Garry Prohm’s midriff and the ending of the club’s silverware drought

“The crowds bought into me; they made me feel welcome – it was reciprocated.

“It happened organically and I just loved being here and I didn’t want to let the people of St Helens down or my teammates.

“That is fundamental – that is why you play the game,” he said.

Meninga believes heading to south Lancashire, in the immediate aftermath of losing the Brisbane Grand Final 42-8 to Wally Lewis’ Wynnum Manly, was just the tonic he needed to build his confidence back up.

“I had had a bit of a tough period back home and came over to St Helens to build my confidence and it turns out I was not even in my prime as a player,” he said.

“I came over off the back of getting smashed in the Grand Final back home so my confidence was down. So coming here and the style of footy they play was a revelation for me.

“I really enjoyed that style and we scored a lot of points that year so it was a really fun time for me and the way the team played.

"They were all great players of that era. I came over to play my best and bought into everything that Billy Benyon and the team wanted to do.

"Within five games I was running around a packed Central Park with the Lancashire Cup after beating Wigan.”

Although Saints were denied in the Challenge Cup and the Championship by Hull KR, they finally got one over the Robins in the Premiership Final at Elland Road.

Meninga saved one of his best match-winning performances for his final match, with his two interceptions setting them on course for a 36-16 win over the champions.

Meninga had only been gone a few weeks when the chatter of when he would be back became the constant talk of the town.

And in the late 80s and early 90s, when full-time Wigan had a stranglehold on rugby league, the vision of Meninga striding on to the Knowsley Road turf in the red vee once more to be the saviour of the Saints was clung to more keenly than any comfort blanket.

The fact that this apparition never materialised was a source of regret from both sides – even if Meninga himself went on to achieve even greater things in skippering Canberra Raiders to the Premiership and the Australians to more Ashes success.

“My one true regret in rugby league was not coming back and having the opportunity to play for St Helens again,” he said.

“Playing at Saints was one of the best times of my career.

"I actually signed a contract to come back to St Helens in 1988 but unfortunately, I broke my arm which prevented me from coming back.

“Then Canberra Raiders, who I was playing with at the time, were going through a purple patch and I was the captain so it was hard to wrench myself away from there. It was the way the cards fell.

“There is something in the saying ‘Once a Saint always a Saint’ – I say it about the Raiders as well, wherever I go.

“I didn’t play for any other club – and was never going to do either if I had come back to England. Just as I didn’t play for any other club in Australia after Canberra.”

Meninga did grace Knowsley Road again – albeit wearing the green and gold of the Kangaroo tour matches of 1986, in which he scored, and 1990. And memories of the raucous reaction he received still sends goosebumps down the arms of many an old fan.

“The reception I received was great, but very humbling and a little embarrassing at times, but saying that I am very proud that I played for the club.

“The songs they sang to me rung a very emotional bell in my mind – 'Waltzing Meninga' and 'One Mal Meninga', and all those – it was fabulous. And I really loved that.” Meninga said.

And of course it was not simply Big Mal's debut, club mate Phil Veivers made the first of more than 380 appearances for Saints that afternoon in a stint that would last until 1996.

In a career in which he played full back, centre and in the pack, Veivers was a hugely popular character at Knowsley Road - and crossed for 98 tries.