Mr. Fahrenheit
Referee
- Messages
- 22,132
How well did Darren Lockyer play in the test, early on the combination between him and johns was fluid, but hunts injury was a blessing in disguise for Aust (bcoz he shudnt have been picked in the first place) because it brought the form half in the comp (thurston) onto the field and made lockyer fullback. from then on it was like watching lockyer of yesteryear, his great reads in defence (most notably catching benji's chip on the full on his goalline and making 30ms, b4 being tackeld by marshall) and his brillinant incisions in attack either by backing up as most fullbacks do (both his trys were from support play) or by playmaking as an effective "3rd receiver", (tahu's 2nd try).
to quote Matty Johns "Lockyer as a five-eighth is brilliant, and as a fullback is dynamic"
the question arises now, where to play lockyer. in 2003 and 2004 australia retained the GB series and the tri-nations, largely thanks to Lockyers brilliance from pivot (one play that comes to mind is the try he set up in the 3rd game of the series V GB in the last minute.) but many agree that he looks his best from fullback, where he has a lighter defensive load and is alot more dynamic.
My answer, to this dilemma would have to be to play lockyer at five-eitgh, not because of his talents in either position, but because of the availability of fullbacks and the lack of decent halves at a rep level. QLD has bowen, wesser, slater, inglis as brilliant fullback options, but onl has lockyer, thurston and prince in the halves. Australia have Minichello and Bowen, etc..., but only thurston, gower, orford and kimmorley in the halves.
Any thoughts on this???
to quote Matty Johns "Lockyer as a five-eighth is brilliant, and as a fullback is dynamic"
the question arises now, where to play lockyer. in 2003 and 2004 australia retained the GB series and the tri-nations, largely thanks to Lockyers brilliance from pivot (one play that comes to mind is the try he set up in the 3rd game of the series V GB in the last minute.) but many agree that he looks his best from fullback, where he has a lighter defensive load and is alot more dynamic.
My answer, to this dilemma would have to be to play lockyer at five-eitgh, not because of his talents in either position, but because of the availability of fullbacks and the lack of decent halves at a rep level. QLD has bowen, wesser, slater, inglis as brilliant fullback options, but onl has lockyer, thurston and prince in the halves. Australia have Minichello and Bowen, etc..., but only thurston, gower, orford and kimmorley in the halves.
Any thoughts on this???
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