Granty
31-05-2006, 07:28 AM
http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/story/0,20797,19310501-10389,00.html
Switch still on the cards
Paul Malone
May 31, 2006
A TENSE Queensland State of Origin brains trust last night would not rule out a positional switch for Darren Lockyer to fullback for the rematch with NSW at Suncorp Stadium.
The issue every Queensland league fan wants answered – whether Lockyer will return to fullback in a move shoehorning Scott Prince in at halfback for the June 14 clash – was put in the "in basket" yesterday by chairman of selectors Des Morris, coach Mal Meninga and captain Lockyer.
ABC radio reported yesterday that Morris had said the selectors would consider shifting Lockyer from five-eighth, the position which the Broncos skipper and his club coach Wayne Bennett insist is now his best.
In an interview, Morris said the prospect of having Prince at half, Johnathan Thurston at five-eighth and Lockyer at fullback made it "tantalising to think you could have the best of both worlds".
Morris last night insisted he had not flagged a switch was imminent in the interview, in which he said it was a "prickly situation with Locky".
Pressure is building over the selection of a Queensland team needing to square the series in Brisbane following the 17-16 loss in Sydney last week.
Queensland blooded seven new players in that match and Morris told The Courier-Mail he did not see "too many changes" being announced on Monday.
Asked if the selectors would consider shifting Lockyer, Morris said: "It has never been brought up at a selection meeting. The way he played as a five-eighth on Saturday night (in Brisbane's win over the Bulldogs) was unbelievable – I don't know if you can ask any more.
"I don't want to give anyone the impression that I'm saying he should play fullback. No decision has been made. What I'm saying is he's playing five-eighth at the moment and it will have to be worked out from there.
"He was the best fullback going around and because we haven't won there's speculation.
"It's one of those situations where you have three very in-form halves and one of them has played fullback successfully. The other problem is we have plenty of good fullbacks."
Lockyer declined to comment on the issue when approached yesterday.
"I'm better off just not commenting on it any more," he said. "I've said what I have to say and it's out of my hands.I'll just leave it at that."
Morris said: "Every man and his dog is asking. Locky is probably sick of it and so am I."
Meninga declined to say how he thought Thurston and Lockyer had gone in the halves and Matt Bowen performed at fullback in Game One.
"It's an internal matter. We won't delve into all this banter in hindsight," Meninga said.
"We have issues. We have ideas on that, but we still have another week of competition to go. If players are playing well, they will be considered, regardless of whether they were in the first team or not.
"We believe in what we are doing, regardless of what other people think."
Morris said before the series opener that Thurston and Lockyer had not gelled as a combination in last year's series.
"As everyone knows, our forwards weren't going as well as we'd like (last week), although I don't think they were as bad as people made out," Morris said.
"A week prior to the selections, we had Michael Crocker and Ben Ross available and then they weren't available.
"It changes the aggression and the power of the side. That why it's hard for us to comment on the side this far out.
"We were a bit shellshocked at first as a team, but by the end of the night everyone had played their way back into the game and done their job as well as they could.
"In my opinion, Locky played OK in the State of Origin. He saved a couple of tries with desperate tackles and set up a couple of tries."
Morris said none of the seven rookies had let the team down.
Switch still on the cards
Paul Malone
May 31, 2006
A TENSE Queensland State of Origin brains trust last night would not rule out a positional switch for Darren Lockyer to fullback for the rematch with NSW at Suncorp Stadium.
The issue every Queensland league fan wants answered – whether Lockyer will return to fullback in a move shoehorning Scott Prince in at halfback for the June 14 clash – was put in the "in basket" yesterday by chairman of selectors Des Morris, coach Mal Meninga and captain Lockyer.
ABC radio reported yesterday that Morris had said the selectors would consider shifting Lockyer from five-eighth, the position which the Broncos skipper and his club coach Wayne Bennett insist is now his best.
In an interview, Morris said the prospect of having Prince at half, Johnathan Thurston at five-eighth and Lockyer at fullback made it "tantalising to think you could have the best of both worlds".
Morris last night insisted he had not flagged a switch was imminent in the interview, in which he said it was a "prickly situation with Locky".
Pressure is building over the selection of a Queensland team needing to square the series in Brisbane following the 17-16 loss in Sydney last week.
Queensland blooded seven new players in that match and Morris told The Courier-Mail he did not see "too many changes" being announced on Monday.
Asked if the selectors would consider shifting Lockyer, Morris said: "It has never been brought up at a selection meeting. The way he played as a five-eighth on Saturday night (in Brisbane's win over the Bulldogs) was unbelievable – I don't know if you can ask any more.
"I don't want to give anyone the impression that I'm saying he should play fullback. No decision has been made. What I'm saying is he's playing five-eighth at the moment and it will have to be worked out from there.
"He was the best fullback going around and because we haven't won there's speculation.
"It's one of those situations where you have three very in-form halves and one of them has played fullback successfully. The other problem is we have plenty of good fullbacks."
Lockyer declined to comment on the issue when approached yesterday.
"I'm better off just not commenting on it any more," he said. "I've said what I have to say and it's out of my hands.I'll just leave it at that."
Morris said: "Every man and his dog is asking. Locky is probably sick of it and so am I."
Meninga declined to say how he thought Thurston and Lockyer had gone in the halves and Matt Bowen performed at fullback in Game One.
"It's an internal matter. We won't delve into all this banter in hindsight," Meninga said.
"We have issues. We have ideas on that, but we still have another week of competition to go. If players are playing well, they will be considered, regardless of whether they were in the first team or not.
"We believe in what we are doing, regardless of what other people think."
Morris said before the series opener that Thurston and Lockyer had not gelled as a combination in last year's series.
"As everyone knows, our forwards weren't going as well as we'd like (last week), although I don't think they were as bad as people made out," Morris said.
"A week prior to the selections, we had Michael Crocker and Ben Ross available and then they weren't available.
"It changes the aggression and the power of the side. That why it's hard for us to comment on the side this far out.
"We were a bit shellshocked at first as a team, but by the end of the night everyone had played their way back into the game and done their job as well as they could.
"In my opinion, Locky played OK in the State of Origin. He saved a couple of tries with desperate tackles and set up a couple of tries."
Morris said none of the seven rookies had let the team down.