WHEN the final curtain falls tomorrow night on one of their long and successful careers, Steve Menzies plans to seek out Ruben Wiki and ask him about a 16-year-old videotape of the pair playing each other at junior level.
As he reflected on the quirk of fate that has resulted in two great careers beginning almost simultaneously in 1993 and being about to end the same way, Wiki revealed not just that he and Menzies had first opposed each other the season before but that he had a video of the match.
"The first time we actually played against each other was in 1992," Wiki said. "He was in the Australian Schoolboys team and I was in the Junior Kiwis.
"It was the first time that the JKs won a series against Australia so it's something I remember. I still have the video and it's interesting to watch it and see some of the guys who have gone on to the NRL."
Among those Wiki recalls from the Australian Schoolboys team were former Melbourne fullback Robbie Ross, ex-Parramatta centre Nathan Barnes and Menzies - playing on the wing.
Partnering the 35-year-old Warriors veteran in the centres for the Junior Kiwis was former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga, the man who lured Sonny Bill Williams to play rugby under his coaching at Toulon.
"Really? I'd love to see that," said Menzies when told that Wiki had a video of the match. "I think we were the first ever Australian Schoolboys side to get beat in a series so it wasn't something I probably really wanted to remember. I'll have to check the video to see how I went but I don't think I would have done too many flash things if we got beat."
Even if that were true (Wiki said Menzies was "very safe and did his job"), the Manly great still managed to demonstrate the versatility and competitiveness that has him on the verge of equalling Terry Lamb's record of 349 premiership appearances.
"I wasn't in the starting side and there were a couple of injuries so they said, 'Who wants to play on the wing?' I got my hand up first," Menzies said. "That's how I ended up there. I was actually in the squad as a lock."
For Menzies to join Lamb as the most capped player in premiership history, the Sea Eagles need to beat the Warriors.
Having debuted for Manly in round 13 of the 1993 competition and having played his entire career with the Sea Eagles, including the club's time as part of the Northern Eagles, the 34-year-old international already holds the record for the most games with one club and is the second greatest try-scorer of all time behind Team of the Century winger Ken Irvine.
Wiki, who began his career with Canberra, made his debut two weeks earlier in the round-11 match against South Sydney and might have surpassed Lamb's record if not for injuries and the 23 games missed due to suspension. His 55 Test appearances for New Zealand is a world record.
"Talking to the guys at Manly who played with him at Canberra, a lot of them looked up to him as a player and you can obviously tell he has the same influence at the Warriors," Menzies said. "He's been at the top of his game for so many years and his toughness was typified [against the Roosters] last week when he took the kick-off and charged into Iosia Soliola.
"You could see him screaming before he hit the defensive line. He's always been that sort of leader, even when he was young."
While Menzies and Wiki don't know each other well, both said they would approach the other after tomorrow night's game.
"It's going to be difficult circumstances for one of us but no matter what happens I'll be going to shake his hand and wish him all the best," Wiki said.
"Over the years you build up the utmost respect for other players who have been in the game for so long and Steve deserves all the accolades he gets. He's a true gentleman off the field and an athlete on it. It takes a special player to score so many tries …
"I wish I had the pace that I had, the pace and the athleticism he does, but my job is to go hard and get off."
Menzies said that if he was the one who bowed out, he hoped Wiki finished his career with another title to add to the one the won with Canberra in 1994.
"I'd love to see a player of his stature go out the way I'd like to go out," Menzies said. "If we can't go forward, then I hope he goes all the way."
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