Origin: Bennett hurting Lockyer's Origin chances?
Darren Lockyer is all class, one of the best players in the world. Sunday saw him with the Broncos struggle in which they (and he) will only get better as we delve deeper into the season.
Many good judges out there (Laurie Daley, Matt Johns and Gorden Tallis amongst others) believe that Wayne Bennett is doing Lockyer no favours in playing him at five-eight in the front line for Brisbane. Against the Cowboys, Lockyer made 13 tackles and missed 11 tackles in 56 minutes of football. We know Lockyer is not there for his defensive prowess, though the extra work he is being forced to do up front is hampering his attacking game no two ways about it.
Season 2004 saw a fresh and confident Darren Lockyer take to the five-eight role like a duck to water and he took out the Dally M Five-Eight of the Year award polling very well in the Golden Boot Player of the Year Award. His season was capped off with a 5 star performance in the Tri-Nations final that saw Bob Fulton label his first half as one of the best performances he had seen in a Kangaroo jersey. All was rosy.
Lockyer in 2005 started the season well though as the season went on he became a tired, jaded shell of his former self with Brisbane and Queensland suffering for the form lapse. You would be forgiven for thinking that 2005 saw Darren Lockyer age 5 years such was the dishelved figure we saw hobbling in his hotel foyer unable to take part in the majority of the UK leg of the tour last year.
With Dally M Player of the Year Jonathon Thurston totally outplaying him on the weekend and with Scott Prince starting 2006 as he ended 2005, QLD selectors will have almighty headache come Origin time if Lockyer and his Brisbane Broncos are still struggling. I don't think Lockyer could be moved to fullback for QLD replacing a Bowen, Slater or Schifcofske after not playing in the fullback position since 2003, so selectors will monitor his form closely right up until selection time.
As the current Queensland and Australian captain, I fully expect to see Darren Lockyer in game one of the 2006 State of Origin Series as I believe when fit he is second only to Andrew Johns as the best player in the world today. The above cannot be simply ignored, Queensland are under the pump again this season and NSW will select a side geared on once again targeting Darren Lockyer much like NQ did on the weekend which ensured Lockyer had nothing left in attack.
The more I see Lockyer pumbled each week when wearing the six jersey, the more I hope Bennett moves the best fullback of the modern era back to fullback where he was dominating football games from the back. I understand and applaud the team first approach of Lockyer at Brisbane, though from what I have since 2004 the move to me is not once that has linked to success for Brisbane or Queensland at Origin time.
Thoughts?