Less than 18 months after his career hung in the balance, Blake Ferguson has produced his finest performance for Australia with a man-of-the match Four Nations performance against New Zealand.
Ferguson scored the first of the Kangaroos' two tries and had a hand in the second in addition to some stellar defensive work that delighted Meninga after the 14-8 success at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry.
"He was outstanding," Meninga said.
"It trademarked by a run of out of our end-goal area. I thought that was really important moment in the game.
"It was a really important moment for us. Had he not got out, then we would have really been under the pump. I thought his run was exceptional."
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Ferguson would have been left out of the side had it not been for a serious knee injury suffered by Josh Mansour but Meninga said he was always confident the Sydney Roosters outside back would play well against the Kiwis.
"He's been playing really well for us, in all the Test matches he's been very good," he said.
Meninga's words of praise are a far cry from June 2014.
Ferguson's hopes of signing for the Roosters were knocked back by the NRL following a litany of off-field indiscretions that resulted in an indecent assault charge.
But with the help of cousin, boxer Anthony Mundine, and the Roosters staff - in addition to becoming a father for the first time - the 26-year-old former Cronulla and Canberra star has turned his life around and is now certain to keep his place in the side for the remainder of the tournament.
"We could have done things a bit better," Ferguson told the BBC.
"But it is a good win and we're all very happy."
