The Until Now Largely Untold Story of Steve Menzies' Role In Brett Finch's Field Goal

To this day, I call Brett Finch “Field Goal” after he nailed that one to win State of Origin Game One in 2006.

But it's time I told the world about the major role I played in that piece of history.

We were at training prior to the match, the final session, the Captain’s Run, night before the game. It was under lights at Stadium Australia.

Craig Gower had been the halfback all week and been training well. Everyone had. All week, no worries, no injuries.

And then I came off the bench.

We had a move in which I ran an angle to take a pass from Gowie on the inside.

This night it’s a bit chilly, a little dewy, slippery, and over I go and clatter into Gowie.

He’s lying on the ground, clutching his leg, saying, Ankle! Ankle! You know right away he’s done something bad. He's tough, Gowie. The doc came straight over. Poor Gowie's carried off.

We get back to the hotel, it was maybe 9pm. And we get the news: Gowie’s out. I was sick for him. He’s a good man and getting injured the night before was not ideal.

So the selectors – the late, great Graham Murray was coach – put in a call to four other halfbacks. Then they tried Andrew Johns who’d retired from rep footy. Half of them they couldn’t get hold of, the rest were injured, and Joey didn’t want to play.

So the call went out to Finchy.

So he gets into camp 11pm the night before the game. He’d been on the drink all day. He rolls in, How are ya boys! How you doin!

Next day he never does one session with the team. Turns up at Stadium Australia, full house, plays the game, scores a try. He's wearing jumper No.20. Then the moment comes: scores tied, two minutes to go, ball back to Finchy ... bang ... 35 metre field goal to win the game.

As Frank Hyde would have said of Brett Finch's match-winning field in State of Origin Game One 2006: It's high enough, it's long enough, it's straight between the posts.

You see the video, he’s jumping around, everyone is. Braith Anasta was close to him. Brett Hodgson. Then you see me running towards Finchy. And as I leap on him, and you can’t hear it, but I’m saying, I made you, Finchy! I made you!

He brushed me aside.

But as I said to Field Goal then and as I tell him all the time: without my input and skill – maybe you don’t call it skill – but without me, Finchy doesn’t get in that position of glory that he’ll always be remembered for. Without me he's still on the ink at the Clovelly Hotel.

And every time I see him I remind him of that. And I would like my place acknowledged.

Does Finchy mention me today when asked about the field goal? I hope he does. I have heard him at functions acknowledging my role. So I’m not totally forgotten. But it’d be a disservice if the public weren’t aware of it.

In all half-seriousness... You watch that last set (above), Finchy dishes me a nice ball that I turn inside to Mark Gasnier who makes tidy metres up field and into the middle. Then he’s straight in there, Finchy, at dummy-half, and knocks out a sniping little run before passing inside to Steve Simpson who rolls us along to the 22. Then Finchy slots way back in the pocket, takes the pass from Danny Buderus 35m out, and … bang. Wins the game. Down the guts. Didn't look like missing.

And there was a a great deal of jubilation.

To be actually serious for one paragraph… after the match I was happy that we’d won but I was still disappointed that I’d been involved in ending my own team-mate’s game. He’s a great fellah, Gowie, and at least he got back for Game Three. But I carried it with me a long time.

But about five years ago I realised that I was the unsung hero of this piece of history, and that the story needed to be told because of the hard work that I did in the lead-up.

And Finchy? He was picked again for Game Two and we lost 30-6. And he didn't play Origin again.

But he was never forgotten. And until he retired he was always there as the Blues' fourth- or fifth-choice halfback. He was always in the back of selectors' minds. And they were always thinking, if we can’t have our first four or five choices, and Joey's still retired, well, there’s always Finchy.

There’s always Finchy.