Beaver on hold

Skyhunter · Beaver on hold

Beaver on hold

Jason Avedissian

30 January 2008

A TRIBUTE dinner to celebrate the amazing career of Manly great Steve Menzies may be put on hold later this year after the veteran Sea Eagle shocked everyone by declaring he may play beyond 2008.

The 34-year-old dropped the surprising news at the Sydney Sports Academy yesterday morning as the Sea Eagles paraded their new-look jersey.

The veteran forward is contracted until the end of 2008, but is now eyeing an astonishing 17th season next year.

"The brain still says I can play, hopefully the body will as well," Menzies said yesterday.

"I don't want to say this is the last year and then come out and say I'm not retiring.

"I want to leave a small window open, just in case.

"I don't want to retire and then wish I'd played one more season.

"It's the toughest decision you have to make as a footballer, when to retire.

"I'm still enjoying it, a couple of niggles, but all the fitness is going well. I just appreciate doing it for a job."

The suggestion of yet another season caught both club management and his manager Wayne Beavis by surprise yesterday.

Beavis said, while nothing is set in stone, a dinner to celebrate Menzies' career has been mooted.

"We are talking about different things, there's a book on the way, there will be a tribute dinner, it's only in the infancy stage," he said.

"If his body holds up, then we'll just have to wait and see."

Manly CEO Grant Mayer said the club will discuss Menzies' future when both parties were ready.

"He's been a loyal servant of the club and we will talk to him when the time is right," Mayer said.

Menzies, who made his first grade debut against the Broncos at Brookvale Oval on June 26, 1993, said he would consult Manly coach Des Hasler before making a final decision.

"The biggest fear is playing too long and being embarrassed out there," he said.

"I'll talk to Dessie, see how he thinks I'm going and see what the club thinks.

"We'll make a definite decision sometime during the year."

Source: A TRIBUTE dinner to celebrate the amazing career of Manly great Steve Menzies may be put on hold later this year after the veteran Sea Eagle shocked everyone by declaring he may play beyond 2008.

The 34-year-old dropped the surprising news at the Sydney Sports Academy yesterday morning as the Sea Eagles paraded their new-look jersey.

The veteran forward is contracted until the end of 2008, but is now eyeing an astonishing 17th season next year.

"The brain still says I can play, hopefully the body will as well," Menzies said yesterday.

"I don't want to say this is the last year and then come out and say I'm not retiring.

"I want to leave a small window open, just in case.

"I don't want to retire and then wish I'd played one more season.

"It's the toughest decision you have to make as a footballer, when to retire.

"I'm still enjoying it, a couple of niggles, but all the fitness is going well. I just appreciate doing it for a job."

The suggestion of yet another season caught both club management and his manager Wayne Beavis by surprise yesterday.

Beavis said, while nothing is set in stone, a dinner to celebrate Menzies' career has been mooted.

"We are talking about different things, there's a book on the way, there will be a tribute dinner, it's only in the infancy stage," he said.

"If his body holds up, then we'll just have to wait and see."

Manly CEO Grant Mayer said the club will discuss Menzies' future when both parties were ready.

"He's been a loyal servant of the club and we will talk to him when the time is right," Mayer said.

Menzies, who made his first grade debut against the Broncos at Brookvale Oval on June 26, 1993, said he would consult Manly coach Des Hasler before making a final decision.

"The biggest fear is playing too long and being embarrassed out there," he said.

"I'll talk to Dessie, see how he thinks I'm going and see what the club thinks.

"We'll make a definite decision sometime during the year."

Source: http://www.manlydaily.com.au/article/2008/01/30/8484_sports.html

Skyhunter · Menzies leaves the door ajar to keep on keeping on with Sea

Menzies leaves the door ajar to keep on keeping on with Sea Eagles

Andrew Webster | January 30, 2008

It was so widely considered that this season would be Steve Menzies' last that plans were well underway for his testimonial dinner.

Now there's a hitch: the veteran Manly back-rower hasn't ruled out the possibility of playing beyond this year.

Less than three months after signing a one-year deal thought to be his last, Menzies surprised Sea Eagles officials when he revealed yesterday that he is entertaining the thought of going around in 2009.

"I just don't want to shut the door and say that's it if I'm feeling good and playing well," Menzies said. "It was never really set in stone that this would be my last season.

"I'm enjoying the training now and we'll see what happens when the season starts. But I'm not going to put a date on it. I'll sit down with [coach] Dessie [Hasler] a couple of times during the year and see how I'm feeling.

"I'll see how the body holds up and then make a decision. I'm feeling good, although pre-season training is a lot easier than the week-in, week-out stuff. Let's see how I'm going sucking in the big ones in the first trial."

Sportspeople can't always be trusted when it comes to declarations about their future. Adam Gilchrist was adamant before the fourth Test that he was going nowhere. One dropped catch and it was sayonara.

For Menzies - who turned 34 in December and has played more games for Manly than any other player - letting go won't be easy. He rejected lucrative and long-term deals in England for another season at Brookvale. And he enjoyed superb form last year after missing the first three months because of a corked abductor muscle.

Should Menzies want to continue, he would want to make a decision early in the year before the club eats up its salary cap.

Sea Eagles chief executive Grant Mayer did not rule out the possibility of signing Menzies to another deal.

"I guess in January it's easy to say these sort of things," Mayer said. "In round five, things could change. We've always said that it would be Steve's decision and that you can never say never. We haven't discussed it with him but that's not to say it's off the table."

If Menzies plays on, he will be well-placed to surpass Terry Lamb's record of 349 first-grade appearances. Menzies has played 323 games and would need an injury-free season to break the record this year.

"Breaking the record is not really a factor," Menzies said. "I think it would be a great thing to do. But my worst fear of playing on is not playing well. If I really felt in my mind this was my last year, I would make it my last."

Lamb said: "He'll break it this year, won't he? I hope he does. It's a record I'm very proud of but I could think of no one better to replace me than Steve Menzies."

In other news, Newcastle utility Todd Polglase has been forced into retirement at the age of 26 because of a recurring battle with a hamstring injury.

"I would like to thank the club for its patience and for giving me every opportunity to overcome my injury, but I had to make a decision that was right for the future," Polglase said.

And broadcaster Setanta Sports hit back at calls from Souths co-owner Russell Crowe for the NRL to put pressure on the international rights holder to show more games in the US. In a media release sent via the NRL, it claimed it broadcast 91 NRL matches last season.

Source: http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/n...les/2008/01/29/1201369135426.html

Skyhunter

The Great Beaver what do you say a great person on and off the field and he's done it all. 2008 will be his sixteenth straight season with the Sea Eagles and for him to be thinking of going around for maybe one more and make it 17 seasons with the one great club.

Than that would be something very special if it's not already. But if his body is up to it and he feels like he can go around one more year and hes a apart of Manlys plans in 2009 im sure he would be there would be many Sea Eagle fans happy to know he may make it 17 years.

If anyone can do it than Beaver can.