Granty
23-05-2006, 07:01 AM
http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/story/0,20797,19223171-5003409,00.html
Thurston, Lockyer loom large
Steve Ricketts
May 23, 2006
http://thecouriermail.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,5157709,00.jpg
CAPTAIN'S call ... Darren Lockyer has words to his Origin teammates
at training yesterday. Picture: David Kapernick
QUEENSLAND skipper Darren Lockyer believes Johnathan Thurston can play a crucial Andrew Johns-type role in tomorrow night's State of Origin series opener against NSW at Sydney's Telstra Stadium.
Lockyer said if Thurston called the shots at halfback, as Johns did in Australia's 50-12 win over New Zealand on May 5, it would give him the freedom to work from five-eighth with the Maroons' multi-talented outside backs.
Thurston played all three Origin matches last year but Lockyer says the 23-year-old has come a long way since then and even at training there is a lot more authority in everything he does.
Australian coach Ricky Stuart put Thurston at five-eighth and switched Lockyer to fullback after Karmichael Hunt was knocked out cold in the 52nd minute of the Test.
Thurston immediately stamped his authority on the game by calling plays ahead of his skipper.
"He's got a lot more confidence than last year and that's only going to help the team," Lockyer said.
"It's his role to guide the team around the park like Joey (Johns) and, if he does, it gives me a chance to seek out some opportunities for the outside backs.
"We've got a lot of options but we must lay a platform for those guys because they're not going to look real flash if they've got nowhere to go.
"But with Cameron Smith being a smart dummy-half runner we're pretty confident we can make some inroads up the middle and then feed these guys outside with some ball.
"There are a lot of them who can create something from nothing."
Lockyer said he believed he was in better shape physically and mentally than last year.
"I'd rather Queensland dominate the series than myself," Lockyer said. "I know what wins Origin games and what needs to be done.
"I guess my job is to keep the guys on track out there on what we need to do to win. Even though I've played a lot of Origin I've learnt a lot in the past 12 months.
"We've got a lot of young blokes but they're all in form and that gives them confidence. With the balance of the side and the way we've trained, things are looking good."
Lockyer said new coach Mal Meninga had an aura about him that demanded respect.
"When a person of his stature and record at Origin level speaks everyone takes notice," Lockyer said.
"Because of the amount of Origin he's played he knows there's only a certain amount you can do as a coach and a lot of it falls back on the players."
"It was probably the same in his day as well. He's put a lot of responsibility back on the players.
"Mal's input has been spot on and when it comes down to the nitty-gritty of plays and what we want to do out there, a lot of that falls back on (assistant coaches) Neil Henry and Kevvie Walters."
The Queenslanders have looked at tapes of last year's 2-1 series loss to NSW with the emphasis on ways to improve defence after conceding an average of 28 points a game.
Queensland won the first match 24-20 in golden-point extra time after leading 19-0.
The Blues claimed their fightback for a 20-20 scoreline at the end of 80 minutes gave them momentum to go on and win the series but the decision to recall Johns was the key factor in the series win.
With Johns having retired from representative football, Craig Gower has been handed the No. 7 jumper. Gower came off the bench in the Blues' 32-10 win in the 2005 series decider.
Lockyer said Queensland should not have too many lingering nightmares from Origin III last year despite the scoreline.
"If you look at our attack in the first 10 minutes, it was exceptional but their defence was as well," he said. "It was pretty much an example of how to attack and how to defend.
"If we scored in the first 10 minutes it would have been a different ball game.
"But they defended so well and we put so much into trying to score when we came up empty, they grew another foot and we probably sunk a foot."
Thurston, Lockyer loom large
Steve Ricketts
May 23, 2006
http://thecouriermail.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,5157709,00.jpg
CAPTAIN'S call ... Darren Lockyer has words to his Origin teammates
at training yesterday. Picture: David Kapernick
QUEENSLAND skipper Darren Lockyer believes Johnathan Thurston can play a crucial Andrew Johns-type role in tomorrow night's State of Origin series opener against NSW at Sydney's Telstra Stadium.
Lockyer said if Thurston called the shots at halfback, as Johns did in Australia's 50-12 win over New Zealand on May 5, it would give him the freedom to work from five-eighth with the Maroons' multi-talented outside backs.
Thurston played all three Origin matches last year but Lockyer says the 23-year-old has come a long way since then and even at training there is a lot more authority in everything he does.
Australian coach Ricky Stuart put Thurston at five-eighth and switched Lockyer to fullback after Karmichael Hunt was knocked out cold in the 52nd minute of the Test.
Thurston immediately stamped his authority on the game by calling plays ahead of his skipper.
"He's got a lot more confidence than last year and that's only going to help the team," Lockyer said.
"It's his role to guide the team around the park like Joey (Johns) and, if he does, it gives me a chance to seek out some opportunities for the outside backs.
"We've got a lot of options but we must lay a platform for those guys because they're not going to look real flash if they've got nowhere to go.
"But with Cameron Smith being a smart dummy-half runner we're pretty confident we can make some inroads up the middle and then feed these guys outside with some ball.
"There are a lot of them who can create something from nothing."
Lockyer said he believed he was in better shape physically and mentally than last year.
"I'd rather Queensland dominate the series than myself," Lockyer said. "I know what wins Origin games and what needs to be done.
"I guess my job is to keep the guys on track out there on what we need to do to win. Even though I've played a lot of Origin I've learnt a lot in the past 12 months.
"We've got a lot of young blokes but they're all in form and that gives them confidence. With the balance of the side and the way we've trained, things are looking good."
Lockyer said new coach Mal Meninga had an aura about him that demanded respect.
"When a person of his stature and record at Origin level speaks everyone takes notice," Lockyer said.
"Because of the amount of Origin he's played he knows there's only a certain amount you can do as a coach and a lot of it falls back on the players."
"It was probably the same in his day as well. He's put a lot of responsibility back on the players.
"Mal's input has been spot on and when it comes down to the nitty-gritty of plays and what we want to do out there, a lot of that falls back on (assistant coaches) Neil Henry and Kevvie Walters."
The Queenslanders have looked at tapes of last year's 2-1 series loss to NSW with the emphasis on ways to improve defence after conceding an average of 28 points a game.
Queensland won the first match 24-20 in golden-point extra time after leading 19-0.
The Blues claimed their fightback for a 20-20 scoreline at the end of 80 minutes gave them momentum to go on and win the series but the decision to recall Johns was the key factor in the series win.
With Johns having retired from representative football, Craig Gower has been handed the No. 7 jumper. Gower came off the bench in the Blues' 32-10 win in the 2005 series decider.
Lockyer said Queensland should not have too many lingering nightmares from Origin III last year despite the scoreline.
"If you look at our attack in the first 10 minutes, it was exceptional but their defence was as well," he said. "It was pretty much an example of how to attack and how to defend.
"If we scored in the first 10 minutes it would have been a different ball game.
"But they defended so well and we put so much into trying to score when we came up empty, they grew another foot and we probably sunk a foot."