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Message: [QUOTE="Big Pete, post: 2736283, member: 1899"] STEVE RENOUF Brisbane At the start of the 1992 season, Steve Renouf’s major concern was consolidating a first grade position in the Broncos’ all star backline. Surrounded by international stars, Renouf was forced to work doubly hard to keep up. But the immense natural talent Wayne Bennett spotted in Renouf as a teenager at Murgon, north of Brisbane, was always destined to carry him far. The extra hour of dedication and commitment merely honed him into a player of extra-special abilities. By the end of the season, Renouf was a world beater. State of Origin selection, a premiership with the Broncos, the only tryscorer in the World Cup final and victory in the World Club Challenge were as impressive a list of achievements as any 22-year-old footballer could boast. Even though his form at all levels was consistently outstanding in 1992, it is two tries for which Renouf’s season will be remembered. Midway through the second half of the grand final, Allan Langer caught St George’s defence short only metres from the Broncos’ tryline. Renouf flashed onto Langer’s pass and sprinted the length of the field to score one of the most remarkable long-distance tries in grand final history. A month later, in the final of the World Cup, Australia were headed for defeat with Great Britain leading 6-4 with only 12 minutes to play. Second-half placement, five-eighth Kevin Walters, combined with Renouf to change the course of the match and the fate of the Cup with one sparkling manoeuvre. The Broncos pair had practicised the move hundreds of times, at training and under match conditions, regularly through-out the season. Attacking Great Britain’s territory, Walters ran blindside and threw a superb long pass to Renouf. The speedster dragged in the pass on his chest, evaded replacement centre John Devereux and sprinted 20 metres to the tryline. “From what I can remember there were no numbers out there, but I just thought the long pass was on. It hit the spot and Steve did the rest,” said Kevin Walters of the most memorable pass of his career. Renouf said his instinctive combination with his Broncos team-mate was the key to the World Cup-winning try. “When you practise moves over and over again, they do become instinctive. I sensed it was on and when Kevvie moved to the blind, I knew straight away what he was up to,” Renouf said. Renouf is the ninth of 10 Aboriginal children of the one family, from Murgon, 170km north-west of Brisbane. His father, Charlie, who died early In 1992, was a professional sprinter, who instilled in his son the importance of looking after his body, the benefits of fitness and the treatment of injuries. Broncos coach Wayne Bennett spotted Renouf playing in Murgon in 1987, and the following season the talented teenager joined Brisbane for their first season in the Winfield Cup. From his earliest days with the Broncos he was a prolific tryscorer, and Bennett observed him as one of “the most effective gap-runners in the club.” Renouf was always going to have his work cut out cementing a position in the Broncos’ backline, with international players such as Gene Miles, Chris Johns, Peter Jackson and Tony Currie barring his way in the early years. Even so, by the start of the 1991 season, Renouf at just 20, had managed 14 first-grade appearances – and that was after injury affected him through much of the 1990 season. At the end of the 1992, Renouf had 57 first grade appearances to his credit and an imposing tally of 29 first grade tries. He had made two appearances for Queensland in State of Origin football and played in all four of Australia’s matches in the World Cup Final tour of England. With his abundant natural talent, the influence of an international threequarter line around him, and the ultra-professional approach of the Broncos, it was little wonder Renouf scaled the heights he did in 1992. Renouf had the world at his feet. There appears little doubt his star will rise even higher in 1993. [/QUOTE]

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