GCBRONCO
International Captain
- Mar 4, 2008
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Darren Lockyer has recalled how Phil Gould called for his head and Mal Meninga threatened to end his career right before the start of Queensland's Origin dynasty.
The legendary Maroons captain had just led his team to a brutal 17-16 loss in game one of the 2006 series, sealed with a field goal from replacement NSW halfback Brett Finch.
With Queensland on the brink of becoming the first team to lose four series in a row, knives were out for the skipper.
Lockyer had also been battling in the NRL for Brisbane, with calls for him to quit playing five-eighth and return to fullback. He faced being squeezed out of the Origin side by Scott Prince.
"There was a lot of heat coming towards the team," Lockyer said in Wide World of Sports' The Dynasty.
"A lot of it was coming and directed towards the senior players, [including] myself.
"Gus (Gould) wrote an article that Queensland needed to move on from Lockyer as captain, because it's not working. I was aware of the article, I never read it, but I used it as motivation."
Gould had chosen his words carefully, but the point was clear. He thought Lockyer was finished and needed to be tapped on the shoulder at just 29 years-old.
"It's time for Queensland to ask Darren to step down from their State of Origin team," Gould wrote in The Sydney Morning Herald.
"It's always dangerous to criticise a champion and I'm not going to.
"I wouldn't drop him, either, but I'd have a serious talk to him about his future and the future of the Queensland team.
"The Maroons need to think long and hard about the development of their team and I can't see Lockyer being part of this process."
And it wasn't just Gould who was laying into Lockyer, the champion fullback turned five-eighth.
"There was people north of the border, ex-players that were sort of starting to rip into us," Lockyer said.
"I think looking back, for me personally, it was the kick in the backside that I needed to get that last five per cent out of me, which gave me a really steely focus going into game two. The next three weeks, I just wanted to nail my preparation.
"So I gave myself the best chance to play well and the rest of the team I think had the same mindset."
Lockyer's halves partner, Johnathan Thurston, remembers the media barrage playing a key role in motivating the Maroons for game two, which they won 30-6 in Brisbane.
"The articles that were being written, I remember those being up around in our sheds, on the dinner tables and things like that," Thurston said in The Dynasty.
"We were constantly reminded of the criticism that the team had gotten, but like Locky said, everyone prepared extremely well that week and we played accordingly.
"There's no better feeling than running out at Suncorp Stadium anytime, let alone when you're 1-0 down and you need to win that second game to keep the series alive.
"The atmosphere was electric, everyone played extremely well ... we put a really good score on them and that gave us confidence heading into the third game."
Yet it wasn't just media criticism. It was way more serious than that.
Mal Meninga, who'd only become coach that year and was a colossal dressing room presence thanks to his iconic Maroons exploits, was ready to end careers. He'd made clear after game one that a fourth-consecutive series loss was unacceptable.
Lockyer wasn't the only player at risk. Veteran front-rowers Steve Price and Petero Civoniceva were also put on the chopping block by Meninga.
Lockyer ultimately scored the winning try in a 16-14 win in Melbourne, pouncing on an errant pass from NSW fullback Brett Hodgson late in the game to dive in under the posts. It was pivotal moment in Origin history.
"If we don't win that game or that series ... myself and Petero and Pricey, we were put on notice by Mal," he said.
"It was Mal's first year but he said, 'Look, if results don't go our way after game one, I'm gonna have to make changes'. If that moment doesn't happen, our rep careers are totally different, we might not even have played for Queensland again. I would maybe have not played for Australia again.
"It was a sliding door moment, you could sort of say, and I'm just glad it happened."
Lockyer treated Queensland fans to a rousing acceptance speech before lifting the Origin shield, telling them a long wait for victory was over.
He also made a significant address to his players the night before the game, calling them all together into a hotel room.
"It went along the lines of, 'Look, we're in for a big game tomorrow night and I just want you to know that I'm going to go out there and play my best footy that I can and I think if the 17 of us do that, then we'll get the job done'," Thurston recalled.
"Having that conversation within the playing group and being a 22-year-old hearing Locky talk like that just made you want to play for him; made you believe in yourself that you could really get the job done."
Lockyer added: "The group - we had talent, we were working hard, we just lacked that bit of self-belief.
"I'd won Origin series but I'd lost quite a few up to this point as well. You look at the dominance [of Queensland] beyond this year, there's series - maybe a couple - where we were really dominant, but there wasn't a lot between the two teams.
"I jut knew that mentally, that's where you win these big games, it's between the ears. I guess I just wanted to instill some belief in these guys that if we go out there and play our best footy individually, that we're a good chance of beating the opposition."
And he made some telling contributions with his words during the game, too, before that famous match-winning try. Thurston vividly remembers his captain leading the way when hope seemed lost, trailing 14-4 with 10 minutes remaining.
In the second half, referee Steve Clark disallowed a Queensland try to Tonie Carroll and the video referee gave a try to NSW winger Eric Grothe Jr, despite an apparent knock-on from Hodgson in the build-up. As his players fumed, Lockyer kept his head.
"I remember it quite clearly, the referee's decision for the no-try (Grothe), because we were all standing back out where the dropped ball was, where we thought they were going to pack a scrum, and then it came up green as a try," Thurston said.
"I remember walking back with Locky and I'm going off my head. I'm going, 'The referees, they don't want us [to win]'. He said, 'Oi! We've still got 10 minutes to go, we can still win from here'.
"He just pulled us in behind the tryline and said, 'Look, if you ever needed any Queensland spirit ... now, this is the time is needs to come to the fore, because we need to get ourselves back in the game'."
Thurston made a break with just 10 minutes on the clock, putting Brent Tate away for a try down the right wing. Lockyer again urged his players towards victory.
"We're back in a huddle and Locky's like, 'The next couple of possessions we get, I'm gonna kick early, so make sure we get down there and try and force an error'," Thurston said.
"Just that belief that Locky displayed, that leadership ... I was filthy at the world, 'Here we go, we're gonna lose another series' ... but him just being cool, calm and collected. Like Smithy (Cameron Smith) at the time, too.
"That just gives you that confidence that, yeah, we're gonna get the job done here. We all know what happens when Locky kicks the ball down and a play or two later, Hodgson throws that ball and Locky puts himself in that frame, in that position to pick the ball up and score that try.
"I just remember him getting smashed by 'Tunza' (Caroll) and everyone else over the top, just going, 'How good's this?!' We still had I think [five] minutes to go until full-time, so we knew we still had to defend really well to get the job done and we ended up doing it."
Queensland legend Billy Slater, who missed the 2006 series through suspension, pointed out that Lockyer was well ahead of the defensive line on the crucial try-scoring play.
One of the great instinctive players himself, he asked Lockyer in The Dynasty: "What makes you put yourself into that position? Did you sense there was an opportunity there, or where you going up to inspire your team with a big shot or something like that?"
Lockyer replied: "Well, I'm not capable of a big shot, Bill, so...
"I wanted to kick relatively early because I like doing that; I think it applies pressure because the opposition's forwards take maybe two or three tackles - especially late in the game - or longer to get behind the ball.
"That's how you can sort of apply pressure. You've got a defensive line that is really set and ready to go and there's not a lot of attackers on the other side.
"I remember when the ball got passed from dummy-half, I was just going up to apply pressure, to tackle whoever was going to get the ball and hopefully tackle them as they catch it. Then as the ball's starting to descend, I'm starting to sense ... that it's going to hit the ground.
"That's when I just accelerated towards it and the footy gods just shone. The bounce was perfect, I got it there and I got through under the posts.
"I do remember big Tunza, with the big chin, just coming along with a big smile on his face. It was a great moment."
While Queensland had Lockyer and JT, NSW had Craig Gower and Mark Gasnier as a makeshift halves pairing amid five team changes for Origin III. Lockyer reckons his big moment would never have come if Andrew Johns or Brad Fittler were still there.
"If any of those guys were on the field at the time, they probably would have found a way to close the game out," he said.
"But for us personally, we'd been working really hard and that particular moment, I just felt like the belief that we were lacking in the team was instilled, right there and then."
For Queensland, a run of eight consecutive series wins had begun. For Lockyer, it meant that his Origin career continued for another five years.
The Maroons legend finally retired from Origin with 36 appearances, for 19 wins and nine tries. And 2006 became an incredible year - the ultimate comeback to his critics.
An endangered species at the start of the season, he finished with a Golden Boot, Dally M five-eighth and representative player of the year award, a fourth premiership, an Origin series win and a Tri-Nations Test series victory; all as captain.
He also scored the match-winning try in the Tri-Nations final against New Zealand. From grave depths emerged arguably Lockyer's greatest season.
Darren Lockyer has recalled how Phil Gould called for his head and Mal Meninga threatened to end his career right before the start of Queensland's Origin dynasty.
The legendary Maroons captain had just led his team to a brutal 17-16 loss in game one of the 2006 series, sealed with a field goal from replacement NSW halfback Brett Finch.
With Queensland on the brink of becoming the first team to lose four series in a row, knives were out for the skipper.
Lockyer had also been battling in the NRL for Brisbane, with calls for him to quit playing five-eighth and return to fullback. He faced being squeezed out of the Origin side by Scott Prince.
"There was a lot of heat coming towards the team," Lockyer said in Wide World of Sports' The Dynasty.
"A lot of it was coming and directed towards the senior players, [including] myself.
"Gus (Gould) wrote an article that Queensland needed to move on from Lockyer as captain, because it's not working. I was aware of the article, I never read it, but I used it as motivation."
Gould had chosen his words carefully, but the point was clear. He thought Lockyer was finished and needed to be tapped on the shoulder at just 29 years-old.
"It's time for Queensland to ask Darren to step down from their State of Origin team," Gould wrote in The Sydney Morning Herald.
"It's always dangerous to criticise a champion and I'm not going to.
"I wouldn't drop him, either, but I'd have a serious talk to him about his future and the future of the Queensland team.
"The Maroons need to think long and hard about the development of their team and I can't see Lockyer being part of this process."
And it wasn't just Gould who was laying into Lockyer, the champion fullback turned five-eighth.
"There was people north of the border, ex-players that were sort of starting to rip into us," Lockyer said.
"I think looking back, for me personally, it was the kick in the backside that I needed to get that last five per cent out of me, which gave me a really steely focus going into game two. The next three weeks, I just wanted to nail my preparation.
"So I gave myself the best chance to play well and the rest of the team I think had the same mindset."
Lockyer's halves partner, Johnathan Thurston, remembers the media barrage playing a key role in motivating the Maroons for game two, which they won 30-6 in Brisbane.
"The articles that were being written, I remember those being up around in our sheds, on the dinner tables and things like that," Thurston said in The Dynasty.
"We were constantly reminded of the criticism that the team had gotten, but like Locky said, everyone prepared extremely well that week and we played accordingly.
"There's no better feeling than running out at Suncorp Stadium anytime, let alone when you're 1-0 down and you need to win that second game to keep the series alive.
"The atmosphere was electric, everyone played extremely well ... we put a really good score on them and that gave us confidence heading into the third game."
Yet it wasn't just media criticism. It was way more serious than that.
Mal Meninga, who'd only become coach that year and was a colossal dressing room presence thanks to his iconic Maroons exploits, was ready to end careers. He'd made clear after game one that a fourth-consecutive series loss was unacceptable.
Lockyer wasn't the only player at risk. Veteran front-rowers Steve Price and Petero Civoniceva were also put on the chopping block by Meninga.
Lockyer ultimately scored the winning try in a 16-14 win in Melbourne, pouncing on an errant pass from NSW fullback Brett Hodgson late in the game to dive in under the posts. It was pivotal moment in Origin history.
"If we don't win that game or that series ... myself and Petero and Pricey, we were put on notice by Mal," he said.
"It was Mal's first year but he said, 'Look, if results don't go our way after game one, I'm gonna have to make changes'. If that moment doesn't happen, our rep careers are totally different, we might not even have played for Queensland again. I would maybe have not played for Australia again.
"It was a sliding door moment, you could sort of say, and I'm just glad it happened."
Lockyer treated Queensland fans to a rousing acceptance speech before lifting the Origin shield, telling them a long wait for victory was over.
He also made a significant address to his players the night before the game, calling them all together into a hotel room.
"It went along the lines of, 'Look, we're in for a big game tomorrow night and I just want you to know that I'm going to go out there and play my best footy that I can and I think if the 17 of us do that, then we'll get the job done'," Thurston recalled.
"Having that conversation within the playing group and being a 22-year-old hearing Locky talk like that just made you want to play for him; made you believe in yourself that you could really get the job done."
Lockyer added: "The group - we had talent, we were working hard, we just lacked that bit of self-belief.
"I'd won Origin series but I'd lost quite a few up to this point as well. You look at the dominance [of Queensland] beyond this year, there's series - maybe a couple - where we were really dominant, but there wasn't a lot between the two teams.
"I jut knew that mentally, that's where you win these big games, it's between the ears. I guess I just wanted to instill some belief in these guys that if we go out there and play our best footy individually, that we're a good chance of beating the opposition."
And he made some telling contributions with his words during the game, too, before that famous match-winning try. Thurston vividly remembers his captain leading the way when hope seemed lost, trailing 14-4 with 10 minutes remaining.
In the second half, referee Steve Clark disallowed a Queensland try to Tonie Carroll and the video referee gave a try to NSW winger Eric Grothe Jr, despite an apparent knock-on from Hodgson in the build-up. As his players fumed, Lockyer kept his head.
"I remember it quite clearly, the referee's decision for the no-try (Grothe), because we were all standing back out where the dropped ball was, where we thought they were going to pack a scrum, and then it came up green as a try," Thurston said.
"I remember walking back with Locky and I'm going off my head. I'm going, 'The referees, they don't want us [to win]'. He said, 'Oi! We've still got 10 minutes to go, we can still win from here'.
"He just pulled us in behind the tryline and said, 'Look, if you ever needed any Queensland spirit ... now, this is the time is needs to come to the fore, because we need to get ourselves back in the game'."
Thurston made a break with just 10 minutes on the clock, putting Brent Tate away for a try down the right wing. Lockyer again urged his players towards victory.
"We're back in a huddle and Locky's like, 'The next couple of possessions we get, I'm gonna kick early, so make sure we get down there and try and force an error'," Thurston said.
"Just that belief that Locky displayed, that leadership ... I was filthy at the world, 'Here we go, we're gonna lose another series' ... but him just being cool, calm and collected. Like Smithy (Cameron Smith) at the time, too.
"That just gives you that confidence that, yeah, we're gonna get the job done here. We all know what happens when Locky kicks the ball down and a play or two later, Hodgson throws that ball and Locky puts himself in that frame, in that position to pick the ball up and score that try.
"I just remember him getting smashed by 'Tunza' (Caroll) and everyone else over the top, just going, 'How good's this?!' We still had I think [five] minutes to go until full-time, so we knew we still had to defend really well to get the job done and we ended up doing it."
Queensland legend Billy Slater, who missed the 2006 series through suspension, pointed out that Lockyer was well ahead of the defensive line on the crucial try-scoring play.
One of the great instinctive players himself, he asked Lockyer in The Dynasty: "What makes you put yourself into that position? Did you sense there was an opportunity there, or where you going up to inspire your team with a big shot or something like that?"
Lockyer replied: "Well, I'm not capable of a big shot, Bill, so...
"I wanted to kick relatively early because I like doing that; I think it applies pressure because the opposition's forwards take maybe two or three tackles - especially late in the game - or longer to get behind the ball.
"That's how you can sort of apply pressure. You've got a defensive line that is really set and ready to go and there's not a lot of attackers on the other side.
"I remember when the ball got passed from dummy-half, I was just going up to apply pressure, to tackle whoever was going to get the ball and hopefully tackle them as they catch it. Then as the ball's starting to descend, I'm starting to sense ... that it's going to hit the ground.
"That's when I just accelerated towards it and the footy gods just shone. The bounce was perfect, I got it there and I got through under the posts.
"I do remember big Tunza, with the big chin, just coming along with a big smile on his face. It was a great moment."
While Queensland had Lockyer and JT, NSW had Craig Gower and Mark Gasnier as a makeshift halves pairing amid five team changes for Origin III. Lockyer reckons his big moment would never have come if Andrew Johns or Brad Fittler were still there.
"If any of those guys were on the field at the time, they probably would have found a way to close the game out," he said.
"But for us personally, we'd been working really hard and that particular moment, I just felt like the belief that we were lacking in the team was instilled, right there and then."
For Queensland, a run of eight consecutive series wins had begun. For Lockyer, it meant that his Origin career continued for another five years.
The Maroons legend finally retired from Origin with 36 appearances, for 19 wins and nine tries. And 2006 became an incredible year - the ultimate comeback to his critics.
An endangered species at the start of the season, he finished with a Golden Boot, Dally M five-eighth and representative player of the year award, a fourth premiership, an Origin series win and a Tri-Nations Test series victory; all as captain.
He also scored the match-winning try in the Tri-Nations final against New Zealand. From grave depths emerged arguably Lockyer's greatest season.
