Mal Meninga, also known as “Big Mal” broke numerous rugby league records during his playing career. He retired with the most appearances in the history of the Australian national team, and became the top-point scorer ever in State of Origin football. He has since been honoured as a Member of the Order of Australia, has been inducted into the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame and has also been named in both Queensland's and Australia's teams of the century.

Meninga, whose father is of South Sea Island heritage was born in Bundaberg, Queensland. Meninga attended Maroochydore State High School and completed his Senior Certificate at the Queensland Police Academy, serving as an officer in the Queensland Police Service until 1985. It was during his time in the police force that Meninga met Wayne Bennett, who was serving as a constable at the time and would become one of Meninga's key mentors. Meninga was actually a senior constable and 2IC PE instructor under Sergeant Wayne Bennett at the Queensland Police Academy during the early 80s.

Meninga made his first grade debut in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership at the age of 18 with Southern Suburbs. He was selected to play for Brisbane in the 1979 Amco Cup, kicking a goal in their 5–22 final loss to Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. Meninga also made his first appearance at centre for Queensland in 1979, and the following year helped his state to win the first interstate match under State of Origin selection rules against New South Wales at Lang Park, kicking seven goals from seven attempts. Meninga was one of the last players to use the toe-poke kicking style rather than the more accurate around-the-corner style that was starting to take hold.

In 1982, he was named man-of-the-match in Game 1 of State of Origin series against New South Wales at Lang Park, and was later selected to make his test début for Australia in a test against New Zealand. Post season he toured Europe with the undefeated 1982 Kangaroos, playing in all six tests on tour against Papua New Guinea, Great Britain and France.

Meninga continued his good form in 1983, even though Souths missed the BRL Grand Final. He played in Queensland's second straight Origin series win over NSW, while also starring for Australia in the two test series against New Zealand in mid-season. After again playing a leading role for Queensland in their third straight Origin series win over NSW, Meninga missed the first Ashes test against the touring Great Britain side, but was recalled to the team for the second and third tests of the series which Australia again won 3–0. Meninga was the BRL's top tryscorer and points scorer in the 1984 season, with 18 tries and 154 points.

Meninga continued his good form for Souths in 1985, playing in their 10–8 Grand Final win over Wynnum-Manly. 1985 also saw NSW win the Origin series for the first time, though Mal was selected for the mid-season Kangaroo Tour of New Zealand. Australia won the test series 2–1 against the Kiwis. After his displays on the 1982 Kangaroo tour, Meninga was in high demand with English club sides. For the 1984–85 Rugby Football League season he signed to play for St. Helens, who had paid around £30,000 for his services to play in the Australian off-season and helped the club to win the Premiership.

1986, Meninga and teammate Gary Belcher left Southern Suburbs to play for the Canberra Raiders in the New South Wales Rugby League. Souths coach Wayne Bennett would join them at the club in 1987 as co-coach alongside Australian national coach Don Furner. Despite suffering a broken arm in a sickening collision with the goal posts in the Raider's Round 10 match with Manly-Warringah at the Raiders then home ground Seiffert, Meninga returned to play in Canberra's 18–8 loss to Manly in that year's Grand Final at the SCG, the last ever Grand Final to be held at the ground.

Meninga's multple broken arms saw him play only 17 games for the Raiders in 1987 and 1988 and he eventually would wear a brace permanently to protect his arm. After being given the Raiders' captaincy, Meninga led Canberra to their first premiership in 1989 after overcoming the Balmain Tigers 19–14 in extra time in the Grand Final. The Raiders became the first non-Sydney team to win the premiership in what is considered one of the greatest Rugby league games of all time. At the end of the 1990 NSWRL season, Meninga led the Raiders to another Grand final victory against the Penrith Panthers. He was also the year's top try-scorer - crossing for five in the Round 5 match against Eastern Suburbs at the Raiders new home ground, Bruce Stadium and top-point scorer, and was named as Rugby League Week's player of the year.

Meninga was duly named captain of the 1990 Kangaroos. It was his third Kangaroo Tour after being a member of 1982's "Invincibles", as well as being a member of the undefeated 1986 Kangaroos who became known as "The Unbeatables". As he also had scored a try at Wembley, Meninga joined legendary Australian winger Ken Irvine (1963), and unlikely try scorer, Queensland and Canberra Prop Sam Backo (1988) as the only Australian's to score a try in each test of an Ashes series. Meninga's good form continued in 1991, helping Queensland to win the Origin series series before leading Australia to a 2–1 series win over New Zealand in the mid-season tests. During the 44–12 third test win at Lang Park, Meninga broke Michael Cronin's Kangaroos point scoring record.

The Raiders came back strongly in 1993, with their international stars Meninga, Ricky Stuart, Laurie Daley, Bradley Clyde and Steve Walters, as well as try scoring Fijian Noa Nadruku (22 tries for the season) leading the way. Canberra finished third after the minor round, and were premiership favourites until their fateful Round 21 match with the hapless Parramatta Eels at Bruce Stadium. Halfback Ricky Stuart badly broke and dislocated his right ankle in the second half and despite a club record 68–0 win, without their halfback and chief play maker, the Raiders fell apart.

On Australia Day 1994, Meninga was made a Member of the Order of Australia for "service to rugby league football". Later that year he played his last game for the Canberra Raiders in the 1994 Grand Final where he led his team to victory over Canterbury-Bankstown to their third premiership in six years. Fittingly, Mal scored the last try of the match after taking an intercept and outpacing Bulldogs centre Jarrod McCracken to score beside the posts (amazingly, despite being a noted goal kicker throughout his career, Meninga declined to take what would have been an easy shot at goal).

Following his retirement Mal Meninga openly supported the Super League concept during the Super League war of the mid-1990s. His popularity and playing record as a domestic and international captain were valuable in raising the profile of the rebel competition. He was appointed head coach of his old club, the Canberra Raiders in Australia's Super League season in 1997. Meninga was appointed coach of the Raiders in 1997, succeeding three-time winner Tim Sheens, but achieved only moderate success. Meninga made a successful debut as the Maroons coach in the 2006 State of Origin series, guiding Queensland to a 2–1 series victory, its first outright series victory since 2001.

In 2006, Meninga was reappointed as coach of the Maroons for the 2007 State of Origin series and 2008 State of Origin series, both of which Queensland won, taking his record with the Maroons to three wins from three series. In the 2009 series, Queensland won the first two games giving them a record fourth consecutive series win with captain Darren Lockyer saying Meninga now stands among the legends in State of Origin. In 2010, Meninga coached Queensland to a fifth straight series win, and is now regarded as the greatest and most successful Origin coach in history. He also coached them to their first "clean sweep" since 2000.

In 2011, Meninga achieved his sixth straight series as coach of Queensland honoring a promise he made in 2008. In 2013, Meninga achieved his eighth consecutive series win with the Queensland State of Origin team. In the 2015 State of Origin Series he coached Queensland to their ninth series win in ten years, with the decider played at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on 8 July 2015 and Queensland recording both the largest score and biggest victory margin with a 52–6 victory.

On 2 December 2015, Meninga was appointed as the head coach of the Australian national rugby league team, succeeding Tim Sheens. This, however, meant that he had to resign from his post as Queensland Origin coach. In late 2017, Meninga coached the Australian team to win the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.

The main grandstand at Canberra Stadium is named the "Mal Meninga Stand" in his honour. The Canberra Raiders' player of the year receives the Mal Meninga Medal in his honour since 2008 and a statue of him has been placed behind the Mal Meninga grandstand as well as a statue at Suncorp Stadium. He was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame in 2003. In August 2018, Meninga was announced as one of The Immortals, along with Norm Provan, Frank Burge, Dave Brown and Dally Messenger.