What's new
By:
Advanced search…
The Front Row Forums

Register a free account today to become a member of the world's largest Rugby League discussion forum! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Lockyer v Thurston

Who was/is better?

  • Total voters
    88
Big Pete

Big Pete

Referee
Messages
28,974
Are you sure about that, especially when Cooper was far more involved defensively than TC ever was? TC was a really good player, but Cowboys fans would say the same about Cooper, whatever difference there is between the two players is minimal.

Speaking of two players, I made the point that JT had two defensive minders around him with Linnett being the most obvious example. I guess you knew to stay clear?

The only thing I agree with in your post is that it is a lot like JT and Lockyer. Both are great players, both had good defensive players next to them as coaches recognised they could physically bash them out of the game, especially as the game became more refined and structured.
 
P

papabear

Juniors
Messages
973
Tonie carrol had so much more impact defensively then cooper. He is pretty much the reason people started lieing down and the video ref started coming in.
 
R

Red Bear

Referee
Messages
20,882
I'm not sure Lockyer would go down as the best player in either of his positions from the 20 odd years I have watched the game.

At fullback he's very close. Slater from about 06-14 though was pretty sensational. Minichiello's years pre back injury were absolutely elite, longevity hurts him. I was a massive fan of Tim Brasher back in the day also, mostly from his NSW performances, but he probably wasn't quite Lockyer's standard. edit - Jarryd Hayne as well, obviously. Probably the most brilliant but not the most consistent (has played with some spuds, of course).

There's been a huge amount of good fullbacks, it's probably been the strongest position of the past 15 years.

At 5/8 I'd prefer Fittler to Lockyer. Great player.

Would've loved to have seen Lockyers career had he remained at fullback, but moving probably added a few years to his career - few less miles in the legs in the front line compared to fullback

Thurston has been the best half of probably the last five years since Lockyers retirement, and probably was before that.

I think Lockyers consistency may be over stated. Pretty regularly over his last few years he looked finished early season, took a while to get going particularly post knee injury. He'd usually come good around round 7-8 in that time.

Lockyer's performances in green and gold were generally really strong, Thurston in Origin has been the biggest difference though across the last 11 years or so, he's a wonderful player in that very good qld side.

Lockyer was great in clutch moments, probably a cooler head than Thurston.

I think Thurston took longer to really mature into his best, he's calmed down and been a much better leader the last 3-4 years. Before that he was obviously high quality but not always a great head, especially at club level. Admittedly he had some mediocre supporting casts, but I wouldn't say he's ever had an amazing three quarter line at club level, but he's getting more out of them now. His forward packs great improvement in recent years has been pretty key to the Cowboys improvement.

Not sure defence is really a difference maker between these two at all. Thurstons defence was mediocre for a long time and even now he's got misses in him. Might hit a little harder than Lockyer ever did. It's a point of difference between both of them and Johns though, who really was a high class defender.

I would have Thurston, just. I love his involvement. Moments like that stretch against the broncos a few weeks back, when he was in absolutely everything in that comeback. He's a brilliant competitor and, with the aforementioned maturity, it makes a pretty brilliant footballer. It really is splitting hairs between the two though. Both extremely good players.
 
Last edited:
Last Week

Last Week

Bench
Messages
3,646
Red Bear said:
I'm not sure Lockyer would go down as the best player in either of his positions from the 20 odd years I have watched the game.

At fullback he's very close. Slater from about 06-14 though was pretty sensational. Minichiello's years pre back injury were absolutely elite, longevity hurts him. I was a massive fan of Tim Brasher back in the day also, mostly from his NSW performances, but he probably wasn't quite Lockyer's standard. edit - Jarryd Hayne as well, obviously. Probably the most brilliant but not the most consistent (has played with some spuds, of course).

There's been a huge amount of good fullbacks, it's probably been the strongest position of the past 15 years.

At 5/8 I'd prefer Fittler to Lockyer. Great player.

Would've loved to have seen Lockyers career had he remained at fullback, but moving probably added a few years to his career - few less miles in the legs in the front line compared to fullback

Thurston has been the best half of probably the last five years since Lockyers retirement, and probably was before that.

I think Lockyers consistency may be over stated. Pretty regularly over his last few years he looked finished early season, took a while to get going particularly post knee injury. He'd usually come good around round 7-8 in that time.

Lockyer's performances in green and gold were generally really strong, Thurston in Origin has been the biggest difference though across the last 11 years or so, he's a wonderful player in that very good qld side.

Lockyer was great in clutch moments, probably a cooler head than Thurston.

I think Thurston took longer to really mature into his best, he's calmed down and been a much better leader the last 3-4 years. Before that he was obviously high quality but not always a great head, especially at club level. Admittedly he had some mediocre supporting casts, but I wouldn't say he's ever had an amazing three quarter line at club level, but he's getting more out of them now. His forward packs great improvement in recent years has been pretty key to the Cowboys improvement.

Not sure defence is really a difference maker between these two at all. Thurstons defence was mediocre for a long time and even now he's got misses in him. Might hit a little harder than Lockyer ever did. It's a point of difference between both of them and Johns though, who really was a high class defender.

I would have Thurston, just. I love his involvement. Moments like that stretch against the broncos a few weeks back, when he was in absolutely everything in that comeback. He's a brilliant competitor and, with the aforementioned maturity, it makes a pretty brilliant footballer. It really is splitting hairs between the two though. Both extremely good players.
Click to expand...

I agree with all of this. And I also would prefer Fittler at five eight over Lockyer.
 
T

The Verdict

Juniors
Messages
48
JT was a strong defender in his earliest Cowboys years. He'd be the first to tackle a player off his own kick, and got too excited in defence. But then came the shoulder injuries (both) plus as his profile grew, more traffic was directed his way. He never really bulked up, as it probably would have compromised what he offered on the attacking side.

JT had a lot of x-factor a few years back, but a combination of age, and that injury in the SOO 2011 decider really slowed him down. He's had to get better in leadership and structure as he is not as quick anymore.

His goal kicking had been on decline for the last few years too. Even though the Cows won the premiership, I bet that conversion miss played on his mind a lot. As a result, he is kicking at his highest ever percentage in 2016.
 
Last edited:
B

betcats

Referee
Messages
23,474
The Verdict said:
JT was a strong defender in his earliest Cowboys years. He'd be the first to tackle a player off his own kick, and got too excited in defence. But then came the shoulder injuries (both) plus as his profile grew, more traffic was directed his way. He never really bulked up, as it probably would have compromised what he offered on the attacking side.

JT had a lot of x-factor a few years back, but a combination of age, and that injury in the SOO 2011 decider really slowed him down. He's had to get better in leadership and structure as he is not as quick anymore.

His goal kicking had been on decline for the last few years too. Even though the Cows won the premiership, I bet that conversion miss played on his mind a lot. As a result, he is kicking at his highest ever percentage in 2016.
Click to expand...

Players were also a fair bit smaller in his younger days, these days you got Wingers that weights much as props. I wonder how many gifted talents like JT never made it through the juniors because they struggled physically.
 
mongoose

mongoose

Coach
Messages
11,308
Hard to split them but for me it's Lockyer.
JT is a legend but he scraped in 1 comp with the Cowboys, that team then made the grand final 2 years later without him! JT was part of a very dominant QLD side who were somewhat lucky to come up against a NSW side that couldn't find any decent halves for over a decade. Lockyer was in that same QLD side for 3 or 4 years but I watched Lockyer win games for QLD almost single headedly in the late 90s and early 2000s in some really crappy QLD squads. People forget the Broncos were still a very strong side after Langer and Walters retired and a lot of that was because of Lockyer. The Broncos came very close to making another grand final in 2002.
 
Knight Vision

Knight Vision

First Grade
Messages
5,066
Obviously that would Lockyer , Mastered 2 positions and could at least tackle ( sometimes ) .

Thurston ranks as one of the most over rated players I've seen play the game, but we do live in a time of hyperbole where successful media is determined by click bait and never letting facts get in the way of a good story....
 
Captain Apollo

Captain Apollo

Coach
Messages
13,934
Knight Vision said:
Obviously that would Lockyer , Mastered 2 positions and could at least tackle ( sometimes ) .

Thurston ranks as one of the most over rated players I've seen play the game, but we do live in a time of hyperbole where successful media is determined by click bait and never letting facts get in the way of a good story....
Click to expand...

Also you can add in that the more recent player is always talked up by the media as being better.
 
W

Wily Ole Dog

Juniors
Messages
1,600
Knight Vision said:
Obviously that would Lockyer , Mastered 2 positions and could at least tackle ( sometimes ) .

Thurston ranks as one of the most over rated players I've seen play the game, but we do live in a time of hyperbole where successful media is determined by click bait and never letting facts get in the way of a good story....
Click to expand...


You’re memory is lapsing.
Lucky couldn’t tackle for shit an5/8th. He had a minder the whole time he played there.

Tonie Carroll from memory, sat in his pocket and was his protector
 
Last edited:
Big Pete

Big Pete

Referee
Messages
28,974
JT's front on defence left something to be desired (although don't ask Ryan James his opinion on that) but his cover was as good as anybody's if not the best of any player in the competition.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Top