The Sad Decline of Darren Lockyer as a Player and Leader

[nelly77]

As wonderful a player as Lockyer as been for all these years for club, state and country, his decline over the past year or two has been sad to watch. Sure, every once in a while during the season he will turn in a great performance almost as if he has turned back the hands of time, unfortunately though, turning in a great performance on an infrequent basis (actually when is the last time Locky did perform anywhere near his best form) is not good enough in this competition, particularly when there are so many youngsters who are relying on him to lead the way.

Back in the heyday of the Broncos, a certain coach would have a quiet whisper in the ear of club legends and superstars of the game and advise them that maybe it was time to hang the boots up - better to go a year early and have people say "gee, why did so and so retire this year, I'm sure he could of played on for another year or two", rather than "man so and so is really crap these days and is a shadow of his former self". It is obvious (except to those who are blinded by their loyalty to Lockyer) that he is past his best and is now at the stage where he is holding back the teams progress and development.

A coach such as Henjak will not have the cahunas to have that talk to Locky, telling him that as sad as it is for lovers of both the team and rugby league in general, that for all concerned it is time for him to give the game away.

With his determination to continue his representative career, I fear it is a further sign of Locky being the type of player/person who is quite sentimental about things and as such, not wanting to end the ride just yet. I can see him wanting to play on for another 2 or 3 years actually, and at the same time his team-mates and supporters all seeing that even though he is not up to it anymore, not feeling they are in a position to tell him of how it really is because of the legend he has been.

As terrible as it is to say this, I fear the only thing that will deter Lockyer playing on is something like a season-ending injury. Only then will he have clarity of mind to finally admit that father time has well and truly caught up with him. For each poor game that he plays from here on in, the glorious career he has had is gradually tarnished that little bit more.

Please Darren, go now, while you can still leave the field with your head held high. It will take some time, but with your future involvement with the club as a skills/assistant coach possibly, better times and performances will surely arrive.

 

[titan4wests]

lol.... time warp... feels like '06 all over again...

 

[Major JW Hochstetter]

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.

 

[Bucking Beads]

It would be hard to dominate as a five-eight when your forward pack gets dominated week in week out. Lockyer has not been his best though.

 

[kluppy]

i agree with most of these comments, no darren isn't the player he once was, and that is being magnified by the poor performance of the team, and in my opinion the extreme incompetence of the coach. darren still has wonderful ball skills and a great eye for the game but i just don't see him as a top class play maker anymore. i still think he should've been at fullback this year with wallace and smith in the halves but that won't be happening now. he still has something to offer this team, just not in his current role.

 

[Anonymous person]

nelly77, i agree.

lockyers slower than a wet week, couldnt tackle a 10 year old girl, has a dreadful kicking game now, and basically all he has is a decent passing game. he is over the hill, and has been on a steady decline for about the last 3 seasons now. i always hoped he would know the time to pull the plug, but as soon as he announced he wanted to play rep again that hope went out the window.

its a shame, because it is genuinely sad for me to watch.

 

[nelly77]

nelly77, i agree.

lockyers slower than a wet week, couldnt tackle a 10 year old girl, has a dreadful kicking game now, and basically all he has is a decent passing game. he is over the hill, and has been on a steady decline for about the last 3 seasons now. i always hoped he would know the time to pull the plug, but as soon as he announced he wanted to play rep again that hope went out the window.

its a shame, because it is genuinely sad for me to watch.

Exactly mate. It sorta reminds me of a situation such as a relationship and you know deep down inside that it is well beyond the time to put an end to things as gradually it is going from bad to worse. You talk yourself out of it though, telling yourself just keep persisting as things will gradually get better and return to the times when all was all good. You had such a great relationship, and so you don't want it to end officially as that would mean a big change in your life, saying goodbye to someone and an end to an era of some sorts.

Ok, bad analogy on my part most probably, BUT, I think a similar situation has developed for Lockyer. He has had such a wonderful career, plaudits, awards and pats on the back for all these years. You wouldn't want it to end. I wouldn't want it to end either if I was in his shoes. The time has clearly come though (you only have to see the poor guy struggling to keep up) for him to reassess if his presence in the team is more of a hindrance than a help nowadays. He still somewhat has the vision on the field, although it is becoming almost impossible for him to convert this vision into actual play for a number of factors (team inexperience, Henjak's brain farts and Locky's own indecisiveness).

Face it guys, he has to seriously consider biting the bullet and face reality. This MUST be his last year in a Broncos jersey.

 

[Jip]

I agree, only to an extent though.

It's been quite a while since he could've claimed the title as the best player in the world (which he definitely once was), but he's still got the goods. As an individual play-maker, sure - there has been a slight decline due to age, injuries or a whole host of other reasons after giving his all for 16 years or whatever it has been in first grade NRL. In fact, his individual performance hasn't shone since his stint at Fullback, arguably his most successful position, but being a top grade player isn't based on individual performance alone. He has a brilliant football mind. He's always a move or two ahead of the current play and his passing is fast and deadly accurate. His kicking game is usually impeccable (though lately it has been lacking, I admit) and his speed when he breaks through a line is admirable. His greatest strength is his organising, both in defence and offence. Like King Wally, what he lacks in individual brilliance, he makes up for (and exceeds) in tactical placement, play-making, and organisation.

A five-eighth is only as good as the players around him, particularly the forwards. This has been particularly evident recently, but in a steady decline since 06 with Petero, Webke and co. That team gelled, knew what Locky wanted and delivered. The current team and a great majority new comers (debuting either last season or this one) and haven't come together to work as a team yet. It doesn't help when Ivan the Terrible (how has he not aquired this monicker yet?) keeps changing the players' positions week - to - week. There is no Special K in fullback guiding the players around and there is only so much Locky can do when fundamental errors keep creeping into the game.

As fans, we have to accept that this season is formative, and as frustrating as it is, we're going to lose a lot of games to mediocre teams, and we will not make the eight - I'm comfortable with that, but week in, week out, I'll be there cheering them on just like you all. We need Locky, and will continue to need him for a good couple of years, otherwise the team's fall from grace would be so much harder.

/rant

 

[Professor47]

Watch how he goes in the rep teams... any money he will fire.

The bottom line is this - he needs to be a 'link' in teams atm or a 'Jason Smith' type of role when he was at the cowboys. Using him right now the way we are trying to is CLEARLY not working unless we have all troops back on deck. Even then we should be still looking at the other approach.

Watch the way he plays in Origin... that is EXACTLY the way he should be used this year and next year as he ends his illustrious career.

 

[Browny]

He also needs to let the halfback be a halfback

 

[Donny]

What a load of crap. Dude have you been watching the Broncos play lately, I think his defence against the knights was the best ive seen in a long time. Have you seen the players he is working with.

He through the last pass in three of our four tries tonight. I guarantee he plays awsome aginst the Kiwi's.

Im sick of hearing Darren Lockyer is crap, Darren Lockyer cant play anymore, Darren Lockyer is to slow. **** im glad he doesnt listen to some of the Bullshit some of you guys are throwing around. Id hate to see a Broncos team this year without Lockyer, we would loose by 50 points week in week out.

 

[rnabokov]

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.

Absolutely.

 

[Anonymous person]

of course he'll play 'well' in a team that is 10x better than their opposition. you could put steve michaels in the australian team and he'd play 'well'.

that doesnt mean hes up to NRL level week in week out though.

 

[tallis12]

Without Lockyer the team would be beaten by 60 week in week out.

 

[PETERN]

Steve Michaels however isn't the go to man for Australia. Lockyer on the other hand will be calling the shots just as much as C.Smith will be as well as Thurston. Funny how Smith and Thurston don't want him to retire, and all you 'football analysts' on this forum think you know best.

When the Broncos play well it's on the back of Lockyer, when the Broncos play poorly it's on the back of woeful defence and a deluded coach.

If you have no hope in the Broncos at the moment, what hope do they have without Lockyer in the team?

 

[Professor47]

Without Lockyer the team would be beaten by 60 week in week out.

I will say this - without Locky the Broncs won't be even be able to score.

That's how FAR behind the Broncs are at the moment. We are in big, big trouble unless IH can get his shit together. We should have been putting in 100% for a title with the D-man before he goes but now I'm so sure... whether we should be working towards a system for life without him. (aka B Smith style at Newc)

 

[Nashy]

Lockyer can't do it alone. He doesn't know anyone around him, they don't know him, and they won't give him the fucking ball when they should be.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Lockyer can't do it alone. He doesn't know anyone around him, they don't know him, and they won't give him the **** ball when they should be.

Yeah I found it hard to believe that on several occasions the likes of Alex Glenn and Corey Parker were taking control on the last tackle!! [icon_thumbs_do