Rugby League legend Mal Meninga reveals how St Helens spell changed his life and career

Rugby League titan Mal Meninga has made a frank and eye-opening confession about how his one season stay at St Helens altered his life and turned him into one of the all-time greats of the sport.

Speaking to the independent Red Vee website, the 62-year-old Australian head coach admitted: "I’m still mesmerised by my stay at Knowsley Road during the 1984-85 season.

"I came to England at a low ebb and lacking confidence, both as a player and person, but it turned out to be the best move of my career and even though it was only for a short spell, it changed my life.

"I loved the St Helens community and how everyone welcomed me with open arms and the only thing which stopped me returning for another spell was injury."

It’s a pity the second coming of the Knowsley Road  ‘God’ never materialised but Mal went on to make his mark back home - captaining his club, Canberra Raiders, Queensland, and Australia and is now head coach of the newly-crowned RL World Champions.

During his whistle-stop stay in this country, he helped Saints win both the Slalom Lager Premiership at the expense of Hull KR at Elland Road, Leeds, scoring two tries in a 36-16 victory, and earlier in the campaign had crossed the whitewash twice in a 26-18 triumph over Wigan in the final of the Lancashire Cup at the now-demolished Central Park.

I was lucky enough to watch on in awe from the press box as Magical Mal cast a spell over two rival Rugby League giants and no one among a 26,076-strong crowd will ever forget the way he almost contemptuously brushed aside an up-and-coming Shaun Edwards on his way to the try line as if he was swatting aside a fly.

Much water has flown under the bridge since those halcyon days nearly 40 years ago but are still fondly remembered by the Aussie icon whose status in the sport at the time can be gauged by the fact that one of the ‘posh’ broadsheet newspapers devoted a whole page to his exploits.

It was one of the happiest times of Big Mal’s life and when he returned home he decided to join Canberra - a similar club to St Helens with an outstanding community base.

"The Raiders also played the same style of football as I enjoyed at Saints and everyone was so friendly and welcoming and that’s one of the main reasons I joined them and never looked back," said the man mountain centre.

Finally, a word of praise for Red Vee for the way they delved into Mal’s time at Knowsley Road and brought back nostalgic memories to those fortunate enough to see him rampaging through defences like a bull. It was an awesome and often frightening sight!