Gordie urges Lockyer to miss the Tri Nations

[Big Pete]

Lockyer urged to quit tour
By Jeff Dunne
September 20, 2005

FORMER Brisbane captain Gorden Tallis has called for Darren Lockyer to make himself unavailable for the Tri-Nations tour in a bid to prolong his career.

He did so as the Broncos went into damage control yesterday after their disappointing performance in the finals.

Broncos chief executive Bruno Cullen announced a complete review of all operations including playing and coaching staff.

The Broncos' losing performance against the Wests Tigers on Sunday has prompted angry fans to call for the head of veteran coach Wayne Bennett.

Fans flooded Brisbane's The Courier-Mail newspaper with letters, with most demanding the master coach be shown the door following Brisbane's sixth straight finals capitulation.

Tallis suggested one possible solution to fix the club's end-of-season woes.

Tallis believes his former teammate Lockyer, who is the current Brisbane and Test captain, should put club before country this off-season in a bid to help the Broncos.

"The last thing I want to do is start putting the slipper into my old club when the boys are down, and I've always said the top players should always be available for their country," Tallis said in his column in The Courier-Mail.

"But I reckon the best thing for the Broncos would be for Darren Lockyer to miss the Tri-Nations tour.

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"I'm not really expecting it to happen but from a purely selfish Brisbane point of view, it would be in Locky's best interests to have a long and completely clean break from football in the off-season.



"It's all about pressure and Darren is forced to put up with more pressure than any other player in the game.

"Every time he pulls on a Broncos, Queensland or Australian jersey, he's expected to call all the shots and there's no doubt in my mind the constant grind is starting to tell on the bloke."

"I've never been in favour of blokes picking and choosing when they play for Australia but in Locky's case I reckon the long-term benefits would outweigh the short-term grief over giving up one tour."

While the fans were calling for Bennett's head yesterday there was some support for him.

"Anyone who gets a team one game away from the minor premiership and gets within a couple of games of the grand final with the injuries they have had, I think it's an achievement," former Broncos CEO John Ribot said.

Former Test back-rower Mark Geyer said Bennett was a fine coach but sometimes rewarded mediocrity by refusing to clean out players such as Dane Carlaw from his ranks.

"He seems to blood some kids every two or three years but he doesn't do it nearly enough," said Geyer. Meanwhile, Brisbane pair Tonie Carroll and Shaun Berrigan were surprise omissions from the Tri-Nations train-on squad. Those included were Broncos Lockyer, Petero Civoniceva, Brent Tate and Justin Hodges and Melbourne's Matt King.

The Daily Telegraph

From a Broncos POV Gordie has a point however I have mixed views.

If Lockyer plays as well as he did last Tri Nations he can get some confidence back which always helps.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Mr Saab]

he should tour.

 

[salivor]

From a Broncos point of view I'd love nothing more than for Lockyer and the whole lot to sit back and work on their tans in the off-season but I'm a rugby league fan first and it's dangerous for an NRL board member to be floating these types of ideas around.

The onus has to fall on his board to shorten the season as this is not a Lockyer and Brisbane problem but a problem right across the board with players struggling to cope mentally with the work load and pressure put upon them by such a long season. You know somethings wrong with the current situation when a few weeks back we're sitting here saying how great it is for Lockyer to be injured as he needs a break when we're in the business end of the season where players should be peaking.

 

[pennywisealfie]

he shouldnt tour, f**k the kangaroos, we'll win anyway

 

[Bulldog Power]

unless they are having surgery they should tour

 

[jimmy_pop]

and what's a bulldogs f**kwit doing in the Mighty Broncos forum?

 

[bluesbreaker]

God I hope he pulls out... You all know which thread will be brought up in the NRL section

 

[Mr Saab]

i bet you would love that huh.

I loved your post in the knights forum talking about Robbie Odavis and how great he was. You asked what happened to him..hahaha...what happened to him! He got old you stupid f**k.

 

[bluesbreaker]

i bet you would love that huh.

I loved your post in the knights forum talking about Robbie Odavis and how great he was. You asked what happened to him..hahaha...what happened to him! He got old you stupid f**k.

So much hostility in you . For the record, O'Davis never got back to being where he was after 1998. Maybe it was the roids that was making him a good player, I don't know, hence my question.

 

[Mr Saab]

only hostility to ignorant and ill informed Knights people.
Odavis was only where he was as a result of the SL war.
He probably wouldnt have played origin if it wasnt for the breakaway.
Why was fatty talking him up?????? Because they won an origin series in 1995.
ODavis will never be mentioned in the same breath as Lockyer as far as fullback are concerned.

 

[Kiwi]

God I hope he pulls out... You all know which thread will be brought up in the NRL section

Unlike you I'll stand by what I said, if fit he should play, I know Lockyer has had a long 3 years, he has played more games than anyone, but I think being the test captain ect he SHOULD and will play unless injured. I think the Broncos will just give him a longer off season and look to rest him during the year. I would not be surprised to see Lockyer play no trial games and maybe miss the first few rounds to freshen him up as well as resting for games during the year.

 

[bluesbreaker]

Unlike you I'll stand by what I said, if fit he should play, I know Lockyer has had a long 3 years, he has played more games than anyone, but I think being the test captain ect he SHOULD and will play unless injured. I think the Broncos will just give him a longer off season and look to rest him during the year. I would not be surprised to see Lockyer play no trial games and maybe miss the first few rounds to freshen him up as well as resting for games during the year.

The only thing i've said on the matter is that most of you Johns haters have made ridiculous leaps of faith about what Johns is doing.

 

[bluesbreaker]

only hostility to ignorant and ill informed Knights people.
Odavis was only where he was as a result of the SL war.
He probably wouldnt have played origin if it wasnt for the breakaway.
Why was fatty talking him up?????? Because they won an origin series in 1995.
ODavis will never be mentioned in the same breath as Lockyer as far as fullback are concerned.

:lol: You certainly did wake up on the wrong side of the YMCA hostel cot this morning.

O'Davis would've played Origin no matter what. Fatty was talking him up after a stellar 96 and 97 season by the way (it was during the grand final).

I'll tell you what a joke is though, Locky being nominated in the team of the decade in the 90s .

 

[Mr Saab]

thats right...but if Lockyer pulls out (media speculation) i would be the same way as i was with Johns.
It would be a disgrace. He is the captain of his country and should lead his country.
Unlike you, i can criticise players i hold in high regard.
If Johns was to murder someone you would still defend him.

 

[bluesbreaker]

thats right...but if Lockyer pulls out (media speculation) i would be the same way as i was with Johns.
It would be a disgrace. He is the captain of his country and should lead his country.
Unlike you, i can criticise players i hold in high regard.
If Johns was to murder someone you would still defend him.

If you had a brain, you'd actually research before you open your mouth. But you don't. Have a read of some of my posts after last years contract debacle

 

[Mr Saab]

:lol: You certainly did wake up on the wrong side of the YMCA hostel cot this morning.

O'Davis would've played Origin no matter what. Fatty was talking him up after a stellar 96 and 97 season by the way (it was during the grand final).

I'll tell you what a joke is though, Locky being nominated in the team of the decade in the 90s .

1996? Odavis had a poor yr.
Fatty talked him as they are close after the origin campaign of 1995.
Every media boy has agenda...M Johns talks up all his knights players
Daley talks up all the dragons
Chief...he just talks
Fatty talks up those that are QLDrs and Manly related.

Wake up Blues...you live in la la land and have no sense of reality

 

[Mr Saab]

If you had a brain, you'd actually research before you open your mouth. But you don't. Have a read of some of my posts after last years contract debacle

go and find them for me....go on. I am not here to do your research.

 

[Kiwi]

The only thing i've said on the matter is that most of you Johns haters have made ridiculous leaps of faith about what Johns is doing.

And you like others think people are just saying what they are because they hate the guy. I think you'll find most people ( there are the odd ones that are just saying it out of hate for sure ) would rather have all 3 tri nation sides at full strength baring injury for every game. And like myself they think that means Johns playing if fit.

I, like any other true league fan want a strong international game, we have the players to make the rugby tri-nations look second rate next to the league version. We don't simply because players get ruled out for stupid reasons, clubs don't release players and now we have top players ditching a test to play 6 games in the ESL.

 

[bluesbreaker]

Unlike you, i can criticise players i hold in high regard.
If Johns was to murder someone you would still defend him.

See, there you go again, ridiculous leaps and assumptions. I know you're not all that bright, but really, you say some things that even Kaz would find ridiculous. And _you're _ the one who made the statement, why should I have to do your research for you? Because you're geniused? Ok, I get it.

Anyway, on to the point.

I question this guy's sense of loyalty.

The fact that Johns is letting his manager carry on like this speaks volumes.

Without the Knights, Andrew Johns would be a coal miner in Cessnock.

A bit of loyalty to the club is not alot to ask for, nay, expect.

Added:

I'd understand him going grubbing for money if he was strapped for cash (I'd say Timana has the right to look elsewhere), but no matter what he does, he's still gonna command $300k+ in Newcastle, yeah, that's a 200k paycut, but it's still more then enough to be comfortable in life.

I question why this guy's #1 loyalty is money, where's the gratitude to the team that made him what he is?

Without Johns, Newcastle is Brett Kimmorley.

You must have a short memory.

Shorrrt memory must have a, shor-hor-hort memory.... *cough*

Um, this whole hawking himself (His manager) around to the Roosters, to Rugby Union, to England etc..... It's all just a little too familiar. Remember when his last contract was up for renewal?

The most important question to come from all this is what I was doing awake at 9am :\.

 

[Mr Saab]

See, there you go again, ridiculous leaps and assumptions. I know you're not all that bright, but really, you say some things that even Kaz would find ridiculous. And _you're _ the one who made the statement, why should I have to do your research for you? Because you're geniused? Ok, I get it.

you should be the one to do all the research as you are the one that came out and mentioned the contract thread last yr.
If everyone on here did research on every ones specific posts then there would be 100 posts a day in total.
What i do know of you talk about the almighty one in every thread!!!
The brett hodgson thread...remember!!!! Somehow you turned it into a Johns vs Lockyer thread...you are obsessed with the guy.