Raging Bull earns Hall of Fame nod

TOWNSVILLE product Gorden Tallis will be one of six rugby league greats to be inducted into the NRL Hall of Fame at a gala dinner on August 1.

Tallis, Manly greats Cliff Lyons and Steve Menzies, Petero Civoniceva, Mark Graham and Ricky Stuart got the nod from a shortlist of 25 former players that included Craig Young, Greg Alexander, Kevin Walters, Paul Harragon, Royce Simmons, Rod Reddy, Ruben Wiki and Stacey Jones.

Backrower Tallis won three premierships, played 13 Tests for Australia and 17 State of Origins for Queensland in a glittering career.

The Menzies/ Lyons partnership helped lead the Sea Eagles to great heights during the 1990s, including a premiership in 1996 and three successive grand final appearances.

“People ask who the greatest was I played with and the answer is always Cliffy,” Menzies said.

“The things he could do on the field, his natural ability to sum situations up. He never once sold me a hospital pass. He never gave me the ball at the wrong time. I could run where the gap was and if I was in one he would throw the ball to me.

“We only had one pre- rehearsed play because there was no point trying to organise a play because Cliffy didn’t even know what he was doing. I would just shout out where I would be and he would find me.

“You can be the best ball runner in the world but if the ballplayer doesn’t hit you, it doesn’t help you.”

Menzies and Lyons played 144 matches together, winning 100 at 69.4 per cent. Menzies scored 104 tries in these games at 0.72 tries per game and only played in six matches without Lyons, not scoring in any.