A genuine dilemma!

[Coxy]

You are asked to select the greatest Queensland State of Origin 13. 30 years of Origin footy, 1980-2010.

The question: who do you put at five-eighth? Wally Lewis? Or Darren Lockyer? It seems a travesty to leave one out, so you default to Lewis, and figure you have the out of putting Lockyer at fullback where he played the first half of his Origin career. Fair enough. Done.

Then you think about Billy Slater...where does he fit in? It seems hard to leave him out of the team as well. He had his most memorable Origin moment - his 2004 chip and chase try - playing on the wing. I suppose you could put him there.

Then what do you do about the wings? Queensland has had some crackers! Dale Shearer. Kerry Boustead. Israel Folau. Michael Hancock. UGh, too hard.

Let's think centres. Greg Inglis would have to be there, you'd think. But then...Mal Meninga. Gene Miles. Steve Renouf. Ugh...move on.

Halfback. That should be easy. Allan Langer, right? Hmmm, suppose...but, Johnathon Thurston - albeit playing out of position being a natural five-eighth and not a traditional halfback - has been there for 5 series wins in a row...

Honestly, picking the best Queensland Origin team is fucking hard!!!

 

[The Brizz]

I would leave Lockyer out if picking it on a position by position basis, Slater has surpassed Lockyer in my eyes as a fullback for QLD if not in general (that by no means makes me think Slater is better or even to Lockyer overall) and Lewis picks himself really at 6. Only solution is playing Lockyer off the bench as a utility seeing as he excelled in two positions or playing Lewis at lock.

 

[Coxy]

I would leave Lockyer out if picking it on a position by position basis, Slater has surpassed Lockyer in my eyes as a fullback for QLD if not in general (that by no means makes me think Slater is better or even to Lockyer overall) and Lewis picks himself really at 6. Only solution is playing Lockyer off the bench as a utility seeing as he excelled in two positions or playing Lewis at lock.

Yeah, but to me that's an absolute travesty.

I would play Slater on the wing or on the bench simply because Locky HAS to be in the 13. End of story. More Origin than anyone else (well, as many as Alfie)* and involved in 8 series victories (or winning draws). Even Wally was only involved in 7 series wins (plus the 2 one off match wins in 1980 and 81).

* Alfie is in the record books having played 34 Origins, while Locky has 33. However, Alfie's total counts the ridiculous LA exhibition game in 1987 which shouldn't count as an Origin game.

 

[The Brizz]

I completely agree with that; Slater, Lewis and Lockyer all need to be there somewhere.

 

[Big Pete]

Hmmm...

Slater certainly had a good series, but I don't think he's surpassed Lockyer 01, let alone Lockyer's consistency.

 

[gUt]

Depends if you want to select Qld's 17 most valuable players or if you wanted to actually pick a "team".

 

[QUEENSLANDER]

i think slater has surpassed lockyer in origin at least, at fullback. locky will go down as one of the best 5/8ths for qld, slater as the best fullback. he is doing stuff that locky couldnt even do

 

[Anonymous person]

i agree with those saying Slater has possibly surpassed Lockyer at fullback.

game 2 this year was probably the single best fullback game ive ever seen anyone play. game 3, well that tackle is the best 1-on-1 tackle ive ever seen, even better than Lockyers pearler on devere. and while Lockyer was a great support player, he was nowhere near as dangerous on the short kicks or short inside balls as Slater is.

i dunno, its a choice i dont want to make lol. until the last few years, it looked like noone would ever even challenge Lockyer for 'best fullback'. but the things slater has done have just been incredible.

 

[Coxy]

And likewise, I think the way Lockyer is so instrumental and inspirational to this team at five-eighth is pushing Lewis's aura in the 80s.

In fact, call me crazy, I think Lockyer is probably more skillful than Wally was in a lot of ways.

 

[The Brizz]

Yep Slater has completely changed the way fullbacks become involved just like Lockyer did as a ball-playing fullback. They are without doubt EASILY the two greatest fullbacks of the modern era for some very different (their attacks) and very similar (their defense) reasons.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Slater is certainly equal to Lockyer IMO. A bit to hard to pick one over the other IMO. We have had the two best fullbacks of all time playing in the same team which is amazing.

 

[OXY-351]

he is doing stuff that locky couldnt even do

Tackling?

 

[The Brizz]

As much as I bag Lockyer's defense he was a superb 1 on 1 defender as a fullback, it's that he can't handle the workload in the frontline that is his problem he was great tackling at the back.

 

[ethos]

Slater does some freaky things but he is playing in a fantastic team and off the back of some fantastic halves and a great hooker.

When Lockyer was at fullback he didn't have that kind of quality around him on a consistent basis.

 

[QUEENSLANDER]

thing is tho, a lot of what slater does is purely him. that jump through the line to catch the kick last game, that try saver last night, the try he scored last night. all him.

 

[Anonymous person]

As much as I bag Lockyer's defense he was a superb 1 on 1 defender as a fullback, it's that he can't handle the workload in the frontline that is his problem he was great tackling at the back.

yeah noone can say Lockyer was a bad defender at fullback. he started off shonky, but by end of his fullback days he was the best one-on-one tackler in the game, not just best fullback at it. i think it was the 2000 grand final where he held up a rampaging shannon hegarty over the line long enough for the cavalry to come in and throw him over the sideline, and that was just one of many certain tries he stopped one-on-one.

but having said that, Slater has made more one-on-one trysavers that were deadset certain tries. the one in the preliminary final against us, the numerous leg-first hold-ups, the beauty on watmough....he seems to get one every few weeks.

what differentiates Lockyer and Slater is the way they attack. Lockyer would go through the line by deception, looking like hes going to pass or kick, and would put people through gaps the same way. Slater picks his lines to perfection, and just has the best footwork and explosive pace in the game. i mean, that break he got in game 2 is the perfect example of Slater - jump through 2 players to catch the bouncing ball, land and then throws a MASSIVE left foot step and just exploded 40m down the field.

 

[gUt]

Slater's footwork for his try last night was exceptional. Lockyer got the credit for pulling Gallen across too far but if you watch Gallen actually has time to turn his toes inward and had a clear shot at Slater with his weight going the right way. However Slater only needed 2 running steps to completely bamboozle them.

 

[Coxy]

thing is tho, a lot of what slater does is purely him. that jump through the line to catch the kick last game, that try saver last night, the try he scored last night. all him.

Agree on everything except the try last night. Yes, he had some work to do, but he was helped by the arc run Locky ran that had the defence standing still wondering whether he was going to run or pass. As it was, he passed and Slater got past Gallen who had been left standing still by Locky.