The Sad Decline of Darren Lockyer as a Player and Leader

[gUt]

Most of the players around him have absolutely no idea what they're doing, no effective game plan drilled into them at all, and from where I'm sitting I think it's giving Locky the shits. He can't carry this team, which is understandable given our circumstances.

If the roles were reversed - ie. Locky's poor form holding the rest of the team back - then I'd be a bit more concerned.

Exactly.

So would the Broncos be a better team next week if Lockyer quit tomorrow? :roll:

 

[QUEENSLANDER]

wtf are ppl saying "hes good behind a good pack" for? our forwards arent the problem!!!!! thaiday has been killing it, and is in great form, parker is playing great... he is playing behind a good pack! the forwards arent the problem... the problem is the halves!!! Him and wallace dont get the ball to our backs with space. Lockyer is over the hill and its so sad to see. he will go out as a player who was brilliant, but played 2 or 3 years too long

 

[Jeba]

No the problem isn't our halves. Not so much our forwards either but they aren't exactly perfect. Our problem is our defence. Teams have an easy time making it at least to the 40m line in their sets because of our flimsy defence. Then they get an easy kick away and we are immediately on the back foot. Very hard for the halves to overcome that.

 

[Nashy]

No, the problem is the idiots in the team trying to be heros. Teo and Parker were the biggest offenders of not getting the ball back to him on the 4th or 5th.

 

[rnabokov]

No, the problem is the idiots in the team trying to be heros. Teo and Parker were the biggest offenders of not getting the ball back to him on the 4th or 5th.

They're not idiots. They've been taught not to in the sense that they there is no method, just mayhem. Everyone's desperate, trying to work out what's going on, where they're supposed to be, where anyone else is, so they're forced to try something themselves.

What gets me is that the experienced players should get their act together a little better.

 

[Aeetee]

I think one of the biggest problems we have is the speed the pill is distributed to Locky from the play the ball. Its so slow from dummy half to him. The passes are not firm and direct to his chest more like loopy and soft. This gives teams ample time to be up in our faces. Watch when the Broncs pull off one of our great back line moves or when meters are gained up the middle. Usually happens when the ball gets to our play makers quickly. Most of the time it doesn't.

 

[QUEENSLANDER]

Agreed on that. Coxy and i were speaking about how slow we are at actually getting the ball to the centres and wings. Most of the blame is on the hooker for that, but locky and wallace are definitely part of the problem

 

[666]

I never thought I'd say this, but I agree with something Gould said a few weeks ago. Lockyer's Broncos team mates are hindering his options, they are rushing up at times in attack to quickly, some of the bigger men are cutting down his options leaving him only 3 very limited choices, give it to the player in the way, wait and give it to the outside men after he is out of the way which is to late to do anything anyway or run it himself. It's making out attack very predictable at times, making it hard for the attack to gel and forcing mistakes.

 

[gUt]

Yeah we're too flat.

 

[rnabokov]

This is all so true. I wonder what happens at training?

 

[Bajar]

This is all so true. I wonder what happens at training?

Ivan: [icon_drun
Lockyer: eusa_think
The younger players in the squad: _woohoo_ No running this week!

 

[Bucking Beads]

Our play the balls have been painfully slow this season... Last year they were slow also but our team was better and could pull of wins more!

 

[666]

Our play the balls have been painfully slow this season... Last year they were slow also but our team was better and could pull of wins more!

Our play the balls have been slow for a long time, problem is now teams are exploiting the fact that we get up slowly when in attack, and get up quickly when defending. We keep letting teams get a roll on by allowing them quick play the balls, it leaves us very exposed.

 

[Professor47]

Slow service from D half is something Locky has had to put up with pretty much since he has become a 6. It is no surprise he produces the magic when he's got proper service in the rep teams?

It's not his biggest problemos ATM but I have admit it had been an issue till Mick Ennis started to fire up for us...

 

[Bucking Beads]

Lets all blame Lockyer for the team not being able to defend and the coach not being able to coach.

 

[RedHillGuy]

Most of Lockyer's game has been solid but not spectacular (by his high standards) this season. The one major criticism I have of the broncos and a lot of this falls at the feet of Lockyer is our kicking game, especially inside the attacking 20m. The broncos get very few repeat sets and we rarely seem to set for a 5th tackle option to kick across for Folau. In today's game repeat sets == tries.

Also the last few weeks, Lockyer has been caught in possession on the 5th tackle because he hasn't got the clearing kick away in time. Not sure if this is Lockyer being a little slower, slow dummy half speed or he is standing too flat.

All that said, the broncos could do Lockyer a favour and hang onto the ball....

 

[Huge]

Lamenting Lockyers' demise as a player is premature I believe. The evidence says he is alive and well. In a poorly performing team he is still a class act and is playing to a good standard. Brisbanes problems are not the result of poor play from Lockyer rather they stem from a small and inexperienced forward division. We have the worst defence in the league and our attack is mid pack. We score at least as many points as 6 other teams and are only a very small margin off being truly mid-field. Someone in the Broncos is scoring and setting up trys !!!

Our attack, and Darren Lockyer , would certainly be better if our defence was not required so often. Stating the obvious but we spend extra time defending thereby costing ourselves time with the ball. More time with the ball, more opportunity to score and seeing as we are already scoring competitively our stocks will inevitably rise.

As a positive it can be seen that even though we are weak defensively we are at least capable of being 'average' in offence. That indicates Lockyer as the linchpin of the attack must be going 'average'. Average meaning he's achieving class standard as the school teacher might say. If presented with more opportunity and required to defend less often than he currently must, then in my mind Lockyer would be perceived by the public and media alike to be in good form.

Lockyers form is not so much as poor rather his team-mates are not defending to an 'average' standard. If they were we would be mid table and not rock bottom in defence. Defence not attack is the problem area.

By the way, Locky has always been pretty average in one on one defence even when he was truly the worlds best player in two positions. At fullback he had all the skills required with the only flaw being his one on one. The other skill areas he excelled in so much so that any flaw was quickly forgotten. I'm not implying he was hopeless just that it was an area that was not as good as all his other skills. He was average in only that area.

A legend still playing well. Not to blame.

 

[Kimlo]

I agree that Darren Lockyer has went down hill.
I no longer think he is a superstar or one of the best players in the game.

BUT I still think we need him, if we sacked him today who do we replace him with and would we really be better off? That question is a no for me.