141-667: Darren James Lockyer (born 24 March 1977) is an Australian television commentator and former professional rugby league footballer. Lockyer was an Australian international and Queensland State representative captain, who played his entire professional career with the Brisbane Broncos . He is considered one of the greatest five-eighths of all time. During his 16-year career he set appearance records for his club, state and country, and also set additional all-time records for most National Rugby League appearances, most State of Origin appearances, most games as captain and most tries for
282-510: A 26-0 humiliation against Canberra sent the Broncos on another tumble that saw them lose four matches in five weeks. Despite being free of State of Origin representative duties due to their affiliation with Super League, the Broncos had again faltered mid-season, but went on to win their last 6 matches of the regular season. In the finals though, the Broncos suffered close defeats at the hands of defending Premiers Canberra and eventual 1995 winners
423-604: A bartender at the Broncos Leagues Club to make ends meet. Later that year, he signed a $ 10,000 playing contract with the Broncos. Lockyer made his professional first-grade debut with the Brisbane Broncos from the bench as an eighteen-year-old five-eighth in a 60–14 thrashing of the Parramatta Eels in Round 13 of the 1995 ARL season . In this game he threw a try assist to Steve Renouf, a combination which would blossom over
564-404: A bevy of awards for his performances, including Dally M Fullback Of The Year and Dally M Representative Player Of The Year. At the end of the season, Lockyer went on the 2001 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain. He played at fullback in all three Ashes tests, scoring tries in the last two. Lockyer was Queensland's fullback in all three games of their successful 2002 State of Origin series , playing
705-460: A big hand in setting up two tries the first for Billy Slater with a bomb , the second with a pop-pass play to Paul Gallen , ending in the hands of test-debutant and Broncos teammate Jahral Yow Yeh . Lockyer was selected in Game I of the 2011 State of Origin series at five-eighth and as captain, making 34th appearance for Queensland, equalling the all-time record of Allan Langer. Lockyer set up and made
846-605: A breakaway faction of England's Rugby Football Union (RFU). Both organisations played the game under the same rules at first, although the Northern Union began to modify rules almost immediately, thus creating a new simpler game that was intended to be a faster-paced form of rugby football. Similar breakaway factions split from RFU-affiliated unions in Australia and New Zealand in 1907 and 1908, renaming themselves "rugby football league s" and introducing Northern Union rules. In 1922,
987-435: A career high 19 tries and 90 goals. By this time, Lockyer's playing style in attack was already being likened to that of a five-eighth. Despite the competition being unified and ARL powerhouses Newcastle Knights , Sydney City Roosters and Parramatta Eels as well as competition debutants Melbourne Storm having chances to dethrone them, Brisbane finished the season on top of the table, tied record wise with Newcastle but with
1128-565: A decree by the RFU banning the playing of rugby at grounds where entrance fees were charged led to twenty-two clubs (including Stockport, who negotiated by telephone) meeting at the George Hotel, Huddersfield , on 29 August 1895 and forming the "Northern Rugby Football Union". Within fifteen years of that first meeting in Huddersfield, more than 200 RFU clubs had left to join the rugby league. In 1897,
1269-617: A farmer that are also making large amount of money from CSG Mining. Lockyer currently serves as Head of Business Affairs at Mayur Resources, a Brisbane-based energy and minerals company with activities in Papua New Guinea. Rugby league Rugby league football , commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby XIII in non- Anglophone Europe and South America, and referred to colloquially as football , footy , rugby , or league in its heartlands,
1410-772: A finalist in the Queensland Sports Star of the Year award. 2006 was arguably Lockyer's finest ever season, as he'd become the first person since Allan Langer (a former teammate) to captain winning teams in the National Rugby League premiership, the State of Origin series , and the Tri-Nations series all in the same year. Prior to the NRL season the Broncos, under Lockyer, lost the 2007 World Club Challenge to St. Helens . This remains
1551-625: A five-eighth during representative matches. He traveled with the Australian national team to Europe for the 2005 Tri-Nations but injured his foot at training and missed the last few games of the tournament, including Australia's stunning 24–0 loss to New Zealand in the final. After a poor start to the 2006 season following a 36–4 loss to the North Queensland Cowboys at Suncorp Stadium in Round 1, several critics argued that Lockyer should either return to fullback or lose his spot on both
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#17328520760121692-405: A four-yearly cycle in the 2010s; as of 2023 , the holders are Australia . A short-sided version of the sport, rugby league nines , using modified rugby league rules also exists, and is comparable to rugby sevens . Wheelchair rugby league is a mixed-gender sport using heavily modified rugby league rules for disabled and able-bodied players. Unlike wheelchair rugby which adopted its name after
1833-563: A further five State of Origin series with Queensland, and a second Golden Boot Award. Lockyer was born in Brisbane , Queensland . His father, David, played Australian rules football for ten years in Brisbane with Morningside and introduced Darren to the game at four years of age. Two years later, Lockyer started playing Aussie rules for Springwood , finishing runner-up in the best and fairest award in his first season. The following season he won
1974-539: A host of awards in his first season as five-eighth, including Dally M Five-Eighth Of The Year, the Provan Summons Medal , and the RLIF Back Of The Year for his work in Australia's dominant Tri Nations success. In the final against Great Britain he scored a try and kicked six goals in their 44–4 victory. Also in 2004, during a game for the Broncos, Lockyer took a hit to the throat which caused damage to
2115-660: A junior rugby league carnival where his performance caught the eye of coach Wayne Bennett . After impressing at the carnival, he moved to Brisbane and accepted a $ 2000 scholarship with the Broncos. In 2011, it was reported that former Parramatta player Steve Ella who was a scout for the club at the time had spoken with the Parramatta board stating that he had seen a young Lockyer at the carnival and that they should sign him. The Parramatta board reportedly knocked back Ella's suggestion. Lockyer later said in an interview that he did speak with Ella about moving to Parramatta saying "Steve Ella
2256-764: A key role in the drawn series. Brisbane spent almost the entire 2002 season in the Top 4, finishing in 3rd place, as Lockyer, along with Lote Tuquiri and Chris Walker , led the team in tryscoring. Under the McIntyre system , Brisbane were thrust into sudden death football despite a 24–14 win over the Eels, and a Lockyer try could not prevent them from falling 16–12 to the eventual champion Roosters. Lockyer did, however, win his 3rd and final Dally M Fullback Of The Year award. Lockyer played in all 3 of Australia's end of season tests, scoring 2 tries in Australia's 64–10 flogging of Great Britain. Lockyer
2397-496: A low altitude. But ultimately, he was forced to pull out from the squad, and watched from the sidelines as Brisbane fell 26–14 to Manly – a team Lockyer had helped Brisbane beat just a month earlier – resulting in the end of his legendary career. He was named the 2011 Brisbane Broncos season 's player of the year. On 16 October 2011, he captained Australia to a 42–6 win against New Zealand in his last Test game in Australia at Newcastle's Hunter Stadium. Lockyer ended his career captaining
2538-437: A mix of the two sports' rules. Much more so than rugby union, rugby league shares significant similarities with North American gridiron codes. Although described as evolving from both rugby and association football , the basic structures of American and Canadian football are remarkably similar to rugby league through a process of parallel evolution: a try-and-goal based scoring system, a set number of plays before handover of
2679-524: A much closer game 26–8. Lockyer kicked 10 goals from 13 attempts across those 2 matches, bringing his season tally to 8 tries and 70 goals. At the end of the 1997 season Lockyer made his international debut when he was selected to play at fullback for Australia in all three games of the Super League Test series against Great Britain in England. He kicked two goals and one field goal during the series, which
2820-509: A nearly 200 point advantage in point differential thanks to a host of big wins, 3 by more than 50 points, as well as a stoic defence which did not concede more than 28 points across both the regular season and finals. Brisbane came into the finals on a 12 game unbeaten streak (11 wins, 1 draw versus Balmain ), but were stunned 15–10 against Parramatta in the Major Semi, thrusting them into sudden death football. Lockyer scored his first finals try in
2961-629: A professional level. 45 national teams are ranked by the RLIF and a further 32 are officially recognized and unranked. The strongest rugby league nations are Australia , England , New Zealand , Samoa and Tonga . The Rugby League World Cup is the highest form of representative rugby league. Countries that have contested are Australia , Cook Islands , England , Fiji , France , Ireland , Italy , Jamaica , Lebanon , New Zealand , Papua New Guinea , Russia , Samoa , Scotland , South Africa , Tonga , US and Wales . The 2021 Rugby League World Cup, which
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#17328520760123102-453: A result play stops much less frequently in rugby league, with the ball typically in play for 50 out of the 80 minutes compared to around 35 minutes for professional rugby union. Other differences include that there are fewer players in rugby league (13 compared to 15) and different rules for tackling . Rugby union has more detailed rules than rugby league and has changed less since the 1895 schism. Since rugby union turned professional in
3243-493: A second or third five-eighth . Tim Sheens Having won the 2000 NRL Premiership , the Broncos traveled to England to play against 2000's Super League V champions, St Helens R.F.C. , for the 2001 World Club Challenge , with Lockyer playing at fullback in Brisbane's loss. In March 2001, Lockyer was approached by the Australian Football League club Essendon regarding an unprecedented switch of codes, and
3384-539: A semi final showdown with Bennet's Dragons at Suncorp Stadium . Brisbane dominated the minor premiers and advanced to the Preliminary Final with a 24–10 win, but the result was soured by a fractured ankle suffered by Lockyer's halves partner Peter Wallace . The only other halfback on Brisbane's roster was Ben Hunt , who at the time had played just 2 first grade games. They named rookie utility Alex Glenn at halfback, only to move veteran back rower Tonie Carroll into
3525-514: A small bone in his larynx . This has resulted in his unusually husky-sounding voice, which could be corrected with surgery that Lockyer has so far declined to undergo. With Gorden Tallis' retirement at the end of the 2004 season, the Broncos' captaincy was passed onto Lockyer in 2005. He also captained Australia at five-eighth in the 2005 ANZAC Test , scoring two tries. Lockyer then captained Queensland at five-eighth in all three games of their unsuccessful 2005 State of Origin series . In 2005 Lockyer
3666-415: A team's creative unit or 'playmakers'. During the interactions between a team's 'key' players (five-eighth, half-back, fullback, lock forward, and hooker), the five-eighth and half-back will usually be involved in most passing moves. These two positions are commonly called the "halves". The forwards' two responsibilities can be broken into "normal play" and "scrum play". For information on a forward's role in
3807-461: A third son born on 29 May 2013 called Hugo David. In 2012, Lockyer signed a three-year contract with Origin Energy 's Australia Pacific coal seam gas (CSG) project. He will be their safety ambassador and also to gain support for a mining operations called Coal Seam gas or CSG. On Origin's website Darren is investigating the coal seam gas industry for himself. He talks to paid employees and also talks to
3948-401: A value of 2 points when kicked from beyond the 40 metre line. Field position is crucial in rugby league, achieved by running with or kicking the ball. Passing in rugby league may only be in a backward or sideways direction. Teammates, therefore, have to remain on-side by not moving ahead of the player with the ball. The ball may be kicked ahead, but if teammates are in front of the kicker when
4089-542: Is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 m (74 yd) wide and 112–122 m (122–133 yd) long with H-shaped posts at both ends. It is one of the two major codes of rugby football , the other being rugby union . It originated in 1895 in Huddersfield , Yorkshire , England, as the result of a split from the Rugby Football Union (RFU) over
4230-468: Is conducted under the direction of the Federation of International Touch (FIT). Though it shares similarities and history with rugby league , it is recognised as a sport in its own right due to its differences which have been developed over the sport's lifetime. Touch is a variation of rugby league with the tackling of opposing players replaced by a touch. As touches must be made with minimal force, touch
4371-441: Is now the world's greatest five-eighth . Phil Gould , 11 April 2004 Despite Lockyer's lack of experience as a five-eighth, he was picked in the position for Queensland (for the final 2 games of the series, after missing Game 1 through injury) and Australia, and remained as captain of both teams. Brisbane again had a great regular season, finishing 3rd, but a 31–14 loss to Melbourne and former assistant coach Craig Bellamy in
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4512-496: Is the champion he is. Brisbane coach Wayne Bennett at a press conference following the 2006 NRL Grand Final . Immediately after Queensland's State of Origin success, the Broncos entered a 5-game losing streak, in what Bennett referred to as the "slump that wasn't a slump", but bounced back to comfortably win their final three premiership games of the season. Despite losing to the St George Illawarra Dragons in
4653-432: Is the dominant winter sport in the eastern Australian states of New South Wales and Queensland . The game is also among the predominant sports of Tonga and is played in other Pacific nations such as Samoa and Fiji . Researchers have found that rugby league has been able to help with improving development in the islands. In Australia, and indeed the rest of the region, the annual State of Origin series ranks among
4794-536: Is therefore considered a limited-contact sport. The original basic rules of touch were established in the 1960s by members of the South Sydney Junior Rugby League Club in Sydney, Australia . OzTag is a non-contact form of rugby league, and can be seen as a variation of British tag rugby. Cronulla Sharks and St George Dragons halfback Perry Haddock introduced the sport in Australia while coaching
4935-413: Is worth. One of the main differences is the rules of possession. When the ball goes into touch , possession in rugby union is contested through a line-out , while in rugby league a scrum restarts play. The lesser focus on contesting possession means that play focuses more on powerful running, hard tackling, forward progression and the contest for field position (commonly compared to an "arm wrestle"); as
5076-579: The 1953–54 Challenge Cup Final replay at Odsal Stadium , Bradford , England, setting a new record for attendance at a rugby football match of either code. Also in 1954, the Rugby League World Cup, the first for either code of rugby, was formed at the instigation of the French. In 1966, the International Board introduced a rule that a team in possession was allowed three play-the-balls and on
5217-446: The 1996 ARL season from the interchange bench, but also played fullback, wing, centre and five-eighth, finishing with 20 games played, scoring 7 tries and kicking 13 goals. Unfortunately for the Broncos, they had a rare period of failure, and despite finishing top 4 in both 1995 and 1996, they were unable to win a single finals game across those 2 years. Lockyer was moved permanently to the fullback position by coach Wayne Bennett at
5358-415: The 1999 NRL season . Figure shown is the total attendance which is officially counted for both games. ** The official attendance of the 1954 Challenge Cup Final replay was 102,569. Unofficial estimates put the attendance as high as 150,000, Bradford Police confirming 120,000. 1995 Brisbane Broncos season The 1995 Brisbane Broncos season was the eighth in the club's history. They competed in
5499-563: The 2006 State of Origin series , resulting in his selection as five-eighth and captain for Game I. Lockyer underwent further criticism when the Maroons lost to the Blues 17–16 after a poor first half. His position was again debated, with new Queensland coach Mal Meninga at one point telling Lockyer he wanted to pick him at fullback for Game 2 (to which Lockyer responded with "pick me at five-eighth, or don't pick me at all"), but strong performances against
5640-451: The ARL and NZRL . Since rugby league was introduced to Australia in 1908, it has become the largest television sport and 3rd most attended sport in Australia. Neighbouring Papua New Guinea is one of two countries to have rugby league as its national sport (with Cook Islands ). Australia's elite club competition also features a team from Auckland , New Zealand's biggest city. Rugby league
5781-618: The Australian Rugby League 's 1995 Winfield Cup premiership, finishing in the regular season 3rd (out of 20) and making it to the semi-finals before being knocked out by eventual premiers, the Sydney Bulldogs . The team was hoping to avenge their on-field disappointment of 1994. They started perfectly, winning the final of the Tooheys Cup against Cronulla and then their first seven premiership matches in their best start ever. But
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5922-613: The International Rugby League . Rugby league is the national sport of Papua New Guinea and the Cook Islands and is a popular sport in countries such as England , Australia , New Zealand , France , Tonga , Fiji , Samoa , Lebanon , Jamaica , and Malta . The first Rugby League World Cup was held in France in 1954, the first World Cup of either rugby code, and has been held sporadically ever since, settling into
6063-620: The New South Wales Rugby Football League was founded at Bateman's Hotel in George Street. Unlike in England, where both codes maintained their own geographic areas of dominance, in Australia rugby league went on to displace rugby union entirely as the primary football code in New South Wales and Queensland , while Australian rules football dominated the rest of Australia. On 5 May 1954, 102,569 spectators watched
6204-722: The Ottawa Aces were scheduled to join the English league pyramid, becoming the only Canadian team in the system after the Wolfpack were denied re-entry. The club subsequently relocated to Penryn, Cornwall , and are now known as Cornwall R.L.F.C. In 2021, the North American Rugby League announced an attempt to be North America's professional championship, with Canadian club Toronto Wolfpack joining several USA Rugby League clubs, New York Freedom and Cleveland Rugby League to form
6345-572: The Rugby League European Federation and Asia-Pacific Rugby League Confederation expanding the game to new areas such as Chile , Canada , Ghana , Philippines , Czech Republic , Germany , The Netherlands , Sweden , Norway , Spain , Sri Lanka , Hungary , Turkey , Thailand and Brazil to name a few. The two most prominent full-time professional leagues are the Australian National Rugby League and
6486-548: The line-out was abolished and in 1898 professionalism introduced. In 1906, the Northern Union changed its rules, reducing teams from 15 to 13 a side and replacing the ruck formed after tackles with the play-the-ball . By this point, rule changes meant the game organised by the RFL was distinct as a sport from its union cousin. A similar schism to that which occurred in England took place in Sydney , Australia. There, on 8 August 1907
6627-520: The 1990s, when News Corporation paid for worldwide broadcasting rights. The media giant's "Super League" movement created changes for the traditional administrators of the game. In Europe, it resulted in a move from Rugby League being a winter sport to a summer one, as the new Super League competition tried to expand its market. In Australasia, the Super League war resulted in long and costly legal battles and changing loyalties, causing significant damage to
6768-518: The 1992 St George Jersey Flegg side. Together with Chris Parkes, the two took the sport to fields across Australia. Today, it is played by over 200,000 players in organised leagues across the country. League Tag replaces tackling with the removal of one of two tags carried on an opponent's hips, attached directly to specific League Tag shorts with Velcro patches, but otherwise retains almost all other rules of traditional rugby league (such as kicking). A number of additional rules are also added relating to
6909-519: The 2007 ANZAC Test match against New Zealand, scoring a try in the Kangaroos' 30–6 victory. During the season at the Broncos' 20-year anniversary celebration, the club announced a list of the 20 best players to play for them to date which included Lockyer. Lockyer injured his ankle again in Round 9 against the Sharks but he recovered in time to play in Game I of the 2007 State of Origin series and defeat
7050-568: The 2011 season will be his final year in the National Rugby League after deciding not to go to the Super League with the promoted Widnes Vikings . On 1 May, Lockyer was named captain in the 17-man squad for the annual ANZAC Test Match in his usual position of five-eighth. Lockyer finished his final ANZAC Test match on a good note, leading the Kangaroos to a 20–10 victory, equalling Ruben Wiki's record of 55 Test games at Test level, having
7191-451: The 2017 Kingstone Press League 1 in their inaugural season and earned promotion to the 2018 Rugby League Championship. In 2019 The Wolfpack won promotion to the Super League, lasting only a few months before having to withdraw due to the ongoing worldwide COVID-19 pandemic . New ownership is currently trying to revive the club with matches against amateur clubs in the US and Canada. Beginning in 2022,
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#17328520760127332-689: The 2nd placed Roosters, again having the best attack and best defence in the league. Brisbane reversed a 20–6 half time deficit to gain revenge on the Sharks with a 32–20 win, which saw them sent to a Preliminary final showdown against Parramatta, which they won 16–10. Brisbane met the Roosters in the Grand Final , where Lockyer won the Clive Churchill Medal as man of the match in their 14–6 victory. Lockyer, having featured in Australia's 2–0 win over New Zealand and 82–0 battering of Papua New Guinea , Lockyer
7473-505: The Australian and Queensland squads. There were also rumours that Johnathan Thurston would be chosen as the Queensland five-eighth, with Scott Prince at halfback . However, after the ANZAC Test , in which Lockyer scored two tries in Australia's 50–12 defeat of New Zealand , the critics eased off. Lockyer's performances in the five-eighth position improved greatly in the weeks leading up to
7614-467: The Australian national team to victory in the 2011 Four Nations . His last match was the Four Nations final at Elland Road against England; he scored a try with the last play of the match, and his final touch was a rather embarrassing one- an unsuccessful conversion attempt from in front of the posts. In February 2008, Lockyer was named in a list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players (1908–2007) which
7755-579: The Australian national team. As a fullback , Lockyer won three grand finals and one as a five-eighth with the Broncos, a World Cup with Australia, and the Golden Boot Award for the world's best player. He was named in Queensland Rugby League's Team of the Century (1909–2008) at fullback. He switched positions to five-eighth in 2004 and went on to win a fourth grand final with the Broncos,
7896-647: The British Super League (with teams from New Zealand and France respectively). Other professional and semi professional leagues include Australia's Queensland Cup (which includes a team from Papua New Guinea ) and NSW Cup , the British RFL Championship and RFL League 1 , the French Super XIII and Elite 2 . The Papua New Guinea National Rugby League operates as a semi-professional competition and enjoys nationwide media coverage, being
8037-399: The Broncos came up against his former mentor Bennett in a match billed as a farewell for one of the two champions. Lockyer was responsible for putting Ben Teo in for the first try, but with Brisbane up 12–6 and under 10 minutes remaining, Lockyer came too close to a jumping Gerard Beale and collected the knee of the Broncos winger to the face, fracturing his cheekbone. Lockyer played through
8178-422: The Broncos were shifted to teammates Ben Walker and Michael De Vere in 1999. Lockyer was not selected in the first 2 Origin matches, but returned for the 3rd ahead of Robbie O'Davis , whose 22 game suspension the previous season was why Lockyer had been selected. Lockyer scored his first Origin try to help Queensland to a 10-all draw, which was enough for the Maroons to retain the shield. Those first 2 games were
8319-435: The Broncos' sixth. Lockyer was also the Broncos' top try-scorer (together with Tame Tupou ) for the 2006 season. For his efforts in 2006, Lockyer received his second Dally M Five-Eighth Of The Year and his second Dally M Representative Player Of The Year. Lockyer then captained the Kangaroos to an extra-time victory in the 2006 Tri-nations Final against New Zealand, scoring the match-winning try in Australia's 16–12 victory. In
8460-418: The Broncos, breaking Andrew Ettingshausen 's record for most games played at a single club. Lockyer suffered a rib injury three weeks out from the finals series with the Broncos teetering in 8th place. Brisbane went on to miss the 8 (finishing 10th) for the first time in 18 years, Lockyer's injury was the main factor in this as he did not play a single game after it and Brisbane failed to win another game. During
8601-671: The Bulldogs and the Warriors resulted in his retention in the Queensland side. Queensland then made an impressive comeback in Origin 2, thumping the Blues 30–6, with Lockyer receiving the Man of the Match award. He was then responsible for sealing the series victory for Queensland in the deciding match. With Queensland down 14–10 with 5 minutes remaining, Lockyer intercepted a pass from NSW player Brett Hodgson and scored
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#17328520760128742-475: The Cities Gladiators. He made his first grade debut at 15 and played Five Eight for his Roma club. In 1990 Queensland Rugby League Development Officer, Glenn Bayliss, spotted the young Lockyer while visiting Roma. After returning to Toowoomba he passed on his views on to Brisbane Broncos talent scout Cyril Connell and Connell followed his progress over the next few years. In 1994, he traveled to Ipswich for
8883-461: The National Rugby League, this was reduced to ten prior to the 2008 season and further reduced to eight prior to the 2016 season. If a team has to interchange a player due to the blood bin rule or due to injury, and this was the result of misconduct from the opposing team, the compromised team does not have to use one of its allocated interchanges to take the player in question off the field. The backs are generally smaller, faster and more agile than
9024-475: The New South Wales Blues. Lockyer would captain the Maroons in all 3 games as they won their second straight Origin title. In the Round 18 match against North Queensland , Lockyer ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament , with the severity of the injury forcing him out for the rest of the 2007 season. Without him, Brisbane crumbled from 5th to 8th and fell 40–0 to eventual Grand Final winners Melbourne in
9165-605: The Northern Union also changed its name to the Rugby Football League and thus over time the sport itself became known as "rugby league" football. In 1895, a schism in Rugby football resulted in the formation of the Northern Rugby Football Union (NRFU). The success of working class northern teams led to some compensating players who otherwise would be on their job and earning income on Saturdays. This led to
9306-477: The Panthers, however the issue lingered, and he missed 6 of Brisbane's first 11 games. Lockyer, eager to tie down an Origin spot, returned in a round 12 clash against the Eels, where he played an instrumental role in Brisbane's last gasp 30–26 win, however another knee injury would see him miss 5 weeks of action- and the entire Origin series. Lockyer returned to full health after Round 18 and helped Brisbane secure 5th on
9447-411: The RFU reacting to enforce the amateur principle of the sport, preventing "broken time payments" to players who had taken time off work to play rugby. Northern teams typically had more working class players (coal miners, mill workers etc.) who could not afford to play without this compensation, in contrast to affluent southern teams who had other sources of income to sustain the amateur principle. In 1895,
9588-447: The ball comes into contact with the ground. An attacking team gets a maximum of six tackles to progress up the field before possession is changed over. Once the tackle is completed, the ball-carrier must be allowed to get to his feet to ' play-the-ball '. Ball control is also important in rugby league, as a fumble of the ball on the ground forces a handover, unless the ball is fumbled backwards. The ball can also be turned over by going over
9729-489: The ball in hand. The Broncos fullback position he left vacated was taken by 17-year-old Karmichael Hunt . Lockyer gained some negative media attention at the start of the 2004 NRL season when he made a careless joke about the Bulldogs ' gang rape allegation at a Queensland sports function. Being the Australian captain, Lockyer was rebuked by national officials and quickly apologised for the comment. The world's greatest fullback
9870-421: The ball is kicked, they are deemed off-side. Tackling is a key component of rugby league play. Only the player holding the ball may be tackled. A tackle is complete, for example, when the player is held by one or more opposing players in such a manner that he can make no further progress and cannot part with the ball, or when the player is held by one or more opposing players and the ball or the hand or arm holding
10011-435: The beginning of the 1997 Super League season , replacing Australian former international winger Willie Carne , who had played fullback for the Broncos in 1996, with Lockyer also taking over the full-time goal kicking duties from Carne. He first gained representative honours for Queensland that season in the second Super League Tri-series match against New South Wales . Lockyer's try -scoring and goal-kicking ability made him
10152-489: The club's 4th premiership. His incredible season saw him earn Dally M Fullback Of The Year honours for the first time. Lockyer made his official State of Origin debut, playing all 3 games in Queensland's series victory. And despite his shocking debut, Lockyer was retained in the Australian squad for their 2 end of season tests against New Zealand, scoring a try in both of Australia's victories. Lockyer's goal-kicking duties at
10293-506: The club's best and fairest award by 17 votes, despite having to travel 800 kilometres every weekend to play when the family moved to the small country town of Wandoan midway through the season. Travelling commitments and a lack of Australian rules football clubs around the Wandoan area forced him to quit the game and take up rugby league . He played rugby league for school and club in Wandoan for four years before moving to Roma and playing for
10434-469: The code in an extremely competitive sporting market. In 1997 two competitions were run alongside each other in Australia, after which a peace deal in the form of the National Rugby League was formed. The NRL has since become recognised as the sport's flagship competition and since that time has set record TV ratings and crowd figures. The objective in rugby league is to score more points through tries , goals and field goals (also known as drop goals) than
10575-409: The end of season 2010 Four Nations tournament, Lockyer broke the Australian national team's all-time try scoring record of 33 set by Ken Irvine , scoring his 34th against Papua New Guinea in Australia's opening match. He was however, unable to secure the trophy for Australia, with New Zealand coming out victors in their third consecutive final of a major tournament against the Kangaroos. "Wally Lewis
10716-434: The end of the 2003 NRL season , the retirement of Australian national captain , Gorden Tallis , from representative football meant that the Kangaroos captaincy was handed to Lockyer shortly before the 2003 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France . Lockyer led Australia to victory over Great Britain in what would be the last time rugby league's Ashes series was contested until a projected tour in 2021. In addition he won
10857-502: The final pass for Billy Slater 's match winning try. Darren was selected for the following two games, Game 2, a loss, however led the Maroons to a nail-biting decider win of 34–24; ending his prolific Origin career on a high, with 6-straight series wins and a memorable speech. In Round 22, on 7 August, Lockyer played his all-time record-equalling 349th club game against the New Zealand Warriors at home, Suncorp Stadium. Brisbane won
10998-401: The first of his Rugby League World Golden Boot Awards for the best international rugby league player that year. He also picked up his 2nd Ron McAuliffe Medal. For the 2004 Brisbane Broncos season , after the retirement of Ben Ikin , coach Wayne Bennett moved Lockyer, then established as the world's best fullback, to the five-eighth position where he would get more opportunities with
11139-466: The first week of the finals, and the Sharks gained revenge for 1997 with a 42–20 win to end the Broncos season. Lockyer played at fullback in all three matches of the 2000 State of Origin series in which Queensland suffered a 3–0 series whitewash by New South Wales. At club level, the Broncos had returned to the top of the NRL thanks to Bennett's new gameplan, and Brisbane ran away with the minor premiership, winning 2 more games on top of 2 more draws than
11280-517: The first week of the finals, the Broncos rebounded to defeat the Newcastle Knights 50–6. They then won the preliminary final against the Bulldogs 37–20 after trailing 20–6 at half-time, with Lockyer named man of the match. He then steered his team to win the 2006 NRL Grand Final 15–8 over Melbourne , setting up both tries and then kicking a winning field goal in the 73rd minute. This was Lockyer's fourth premiership (and only one as captain), and
11421-658: The five years prior to the Second World War , the sport's popularity increased as Frenchmen became disenchanted with the state of French rugby union in the 1930s. However, after the Allied Forces were defeated by Germany in June 1940, the Vichy regime in the south seized assets belonging to rugby league authorities and clubs and banned the sport for its association with the left-wing Popular Front government that had governed France before
11562-530: The football, each play restarting from a set piece position and ended by a tackle. Although the Canadian Football League in particular maintained the word 'rugby' in its name for many years, alluding to that shared past, the introduction of the forward pass and unlimited substitution in North American games created a fundamentally different species of game from either original rugby code. Although
11703-407: The forwards. They are often the most creative and evasive players on the field, relying on running, kicking and handling skills, as well as tactics and set plays, to break the defensive line, instead of brute force. Generally forwards play a more collision oriented game, making ground by pure strength, and tackling near the play-the-ball. Usually, the stand-off/five-eighth and scrum-half/half-back are
11844-406: The fourth tackle a scrum was to be formed. This was increased to six tackles in 1972 and in 1983 the scrum was replaced by a handover. 1967 saw the first professional Sunday matches of rugby league played. The first sponsors, Joshua Tetley and John Player , entered the game for the 1971–72 Northern Rugby Football League season . Television had an enormous impact on the sport of rugby league in
11985-407: The game 21–20 thanks to a field goal slotted in by halfback Wallace. The following Friday, on 12 August, Lockyer officially broke the record for most NRL games played at 350 with a win over the North Queensland Cowboys in front of a capacity crowd Dairy Farmers Stadium . The NRL's CEO David Gallop presented Lockyer with the match ball afterwards. In the second week of the finals series, Lockyer and
12126-503: The ground, with the ball usually set in a kicking tee , and the opposing team not allowed to directly challenge the kicker. The Super League in Europe and the National Rugby League (NRL) in Australasia are the world's premier club competitions. Globally, rugby league is played internationally , predominantly by European , Australasian , and Pacific Island countries, and is governed by
12267-410: The halves at the last minute. Ultimately, they were probably doomed no matter what they did, as Melbourne ended their season for the third year in a row with a 40–10 rout. During the 2009 Four Nations tournament, in which Lockyer captained Australia to victory, he also broke records for most-capped Australian player and most games for Australia as captain. Around the start of the 2010 NRL season, there
12408-411: The historic link between the codes continues to be acknowledged, neither Canadian or American football is commonly considered a rugby code today except in the broadest sense, and are more commonly referred to collectively as gridiron codes, or simply as 'football' within their respective countries. Players on the pitch are divided into forwards and backs , although the game's rules apply to all players
12549-440: The invention of the sport previously called murderball and is not directly linked to rugby union, wheelchair rugby league has grown out of the parent sport, and retains key aspects of that sport such as an egg shaped ball, the forward-pass rule and conversions. While not a Paralympic sport, the sport has its own Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup . A further variation for ambulatory disabled players, physical disability rugby league ,
12690-412: The issue of payments to players. The rules of the game governed by the new Northern Rugby Football Union progressively changed from those of the RFU with the specific aim of producing a faster and more entertaining game to appeal to spectators, on whose income the new organisation and its members depended. In rugby league, points are scored by carrying an oval ball and touching it to the ground beyond
12831-526: The ladder, and a 24–16 win over Sydney in the qualifying final gave hope that the Lockyer-inspired run of form would continue through September. That hope was renewed when Brisbane led minor premiers Melbourne 14–12 in the dying stages of the Semi-final, only for a late Greg Inglis try to end Brisbane's season- and leave Lockyer showing a rare display of emotion behind the goal line. In August 2008, Lockyer
12972-591: The ladder, but after a then-club record 56–0 drubbing against Canberra in his first game back, Brisbane won 5 straight matches to finish 6th in Ivan Henjak 's first year as head coach- and Brisbane's first season coached by someone other than Wayne Bennett, after the supercoach left for the Dragons. Brisbane beat the Titans 40–32 in the qualifying final, tying the record for highest scoring final that they had set in 2001, and set up
13113-462: The last time where he was overlooked for Queensland, excluding games missed due to injury. Lockyer featured in all 4 of Australia's matches in 1999, and was even sin-binned in the Kangaroos' win against the Kiwis in the final of the post-season 1999 Tri-nations tournament, having scored 2 tries to help them qualify for the match with a big win over Great Britain . Despite Lockyer's individual performance,
13254-504: The league's inaugural season. Several brand new clubs from Western USA were scheduled to join in 2022 but never played. The new competition is sanctioned by Canada Rugby League , but not yet by the United States governing body. Unfortunately, while some exhibition matches were played in 2021 and 2022, NARL was defunct by 2023 The early 21st century has seen other countries take up the game and compete in international rugby league with
13395-474: The loss, and continued his rich tryscoring form with another in a 30–6 win over Melbourne, before he scored a spectacular hat trick in a 46–18 win over the Roosters to help Brisbane secure second consecutive Grand Final berth. Lockyer started at fullback against the Canterbury Bulldogs , who had qualified despite finishing the regular season in 9th place, and helped the Broncos dismantle them 38–12 to secure
13536-543: The match-winning try. It was Queensland's first outright series victory since 2001 and also stopped New South Wales from achieving their 4th consecutive Origin series win. After the match, Lockyer received the Wally Lewis Medal for player of the series, and also received his third Ron McAuliffe Medal. ...can't play five-eighth, shouldn't be captain of Queensland – the list just goes on. Now you all want to applaud him. Thank God for him that he doesn't lose confidence and he
13677-453: The mid-1990s, it has increasingly borrowed techniques, tactics and even laws from rugby league, while high-profile players and coaches from the league game have increasingly gone on to success in the union code in those countries where both codes are popular (e.g. Andy Farrell , Jason Robinson and Henry Paul ). The inherent similarities between rugby league and rugby union have at times led to experimental hybrid games being played that use
13818-530: The most popular sporting events. The Rugby League European Federation are responsible for developing rugby league in Europe . In England, rugby league has traditionally been associated with the historic northern counties of Yorkshire , Lancashire , and Cumberland , where the game originated, especially in towns and cities along the M62 corridor . Its popularity has also increased elsewhere. As of 2024 , only two of
13959-413: The national sport of the country. Five main variant sports of rugby league exist worldwide; Touch , OzTag , League tag , Nines , and Sevens . Touch, OzTag, and League Tag are all non-contact versions of the sport, where as Nines and Sevens are both reduced form (shorter match times and smaller teams) of the sport. Touch (also known as touch football or touch rugby) is a variant of rugby league that
14100-498: The new Super League, although the club was dissolved in 1997. In 2006, the Super League admitted the Catalans Dragons, a team from Perpignan in the southern Languedoc-Roussillon region. They have subsequently reached the 2007 Challenge Cup Final and made the playoffs of the 2008 Super League XIII season. The success of the Dragons in Super League has initiated a renaissance in French rugby league, with new-found enthusiasm for
14241-462: The next few seasons. He went on to be named the 1995 Brisbane Broncos season 's rookie of the year, playing 11 games at centre, five-eighth and off the bench, scoring 3 tries and kicking 4 goals in a game where primary goal kicker Julian O'Neill was injured. He also kicked the first field goal of his career to clinch a 27–20 win over the Gold Coast Seagulls in Round 21. Lockyer played most of
14382-455: The north of England there have been complaints about its lack of profile in the British media. On the eve of the 2017 Rugby League World Cup final where England would face Australia, English amateur rugby league coach Ben Dawson stated, "we're in the final of a World Cup. First time in more than 30 years and there's no coverage anywhere". France first played rugby league as late as 1934, where in
14523-435: The occasion was soured by a 28–12 loss to Newcastle during which a section of EnergyAustralia Stadium was left without power at half time. Returning to the Queensland side after a 1 year absence, Lockyer resumed his role as captain and led the Maroons to a record 4th consecutive series victory. Lockyer sustained a knee injury in the dead-rubber Game 3, which sidelined him for 3 weeks. In that time, Brisbane had fallen to 10th on
14664-629: The only major trophy to have eluded him (notwithstanding the Broncos' victory in the Super League World Club Championship tournament of 1997). In round 1 of the 2007 NRL season , Lockyer injured his right ankle and was initially ruled out for 6 weeks. However, a fortnight later in Round 3, he made a surprise comeback for the Broncos against the Penrith Panthers . Lockyer captained the Australian national team from five-eighth in
14805-404: The opposing team's goal line; this is called a try , and is the primary method of scoring, worth four points. The opposing team attempts to stop the attacking side scoring points by tackling the player carrying the ball and denying forward progress. On occasion, where a clear try scoring opportunity has been thwarted by foul play, a penalty try may be awarded without the ball being grounded over
14946-475: The opposition within the 80 minutes of play. If after two-halves of play, each consisting of forty minutes, the two teams are drawing , a draw may be declared, or the game may enter extra time under the golden point rule, depending on the relevant competition's format. The try is the most common form of scoring, and a team will usually attempt to score one by running and kicking the ball further upfield or passing from player-to-player in order to manoeuvre around
15087-400: The opposition's defence. A try involves touching the ball to the ground on or beyond the defending team's goal-line and is worth four points. A goal is worth two points and may be gained from a conversion or a penalty . A field goal, or drop goal, is only worth one point and is gained by dropping and then kicking the ball on the half volley between the uprights in open play. A field goal has
15228-518: The pain, but missed a tackle which helped set up a game tying Dragons try through Brett Morris . With the game sent to Golden Point, Lockyer, in what would eventually be the last act of his career, sealed the match for the Broncos with a 30m field goal in the 82nd minute. Lockyer underwent surgery to repair the cheekbone and tried everything to ensure he played the Preliminary Final- even flying from Brisbane to Sydney by helicopter so he could stay at
15369-542: The position they play, similarly to association football . Substitutes (generally referred to as "the bench") are allowed in the sport, and are typically used when a player gets tired or injured , although they can also be used tactically. Each team is currently allowed four substitutes, and in Australia and New Zealand, these players occupy shirt numbers 14 to 22. There are no limitations on which players must occupy these interchangeable slots. Generally, twelve interchanges are allowed in any game from each team, although in
15510-400: The process, he became the top try-scorer in Tri-Nations history with a tally of 9 tries. In the week leading up to the final, Lockyer was named the Golden Boot Award -winner for international player of the year for the second time. Lockyer was also named Dally M five-eighth and representative player of the year, the Broncos' best back, and people's choice player of the year, as well as being
15651-564: The qualifying final thrust them into sudden death footy once again. They were drawn to take on Queensland rivals North Queensland Cowboys , a team Brisbane had never lost to. As a positive gesture, Brisbane volunteered to move the home final to the Cowboys' Dairy Farmers Stadium , however the 25,000 Cowboys fans in attendance pushed the Townsville side to a stunning 10–0 upset over the Broncos, in what would be Tallis' last career game. Lockyer collected
15792-504: The qualifying final. Lockyer would still, however, be named Dally M Five-Eighth Of The Year a third time, his second consecutive honour, all 3 coming in a 4 year period. Despite Lockyer was at the time contracted to the Broncos until the end of 2009 when he admitted he that he was interested in playing in the Super League after watching the 2007 Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium , London . On 27 October 2007, Lockyer married Loren Pollock, his girlfriend of three years, coincidentally on
15933-486: The return to State of Origin from Queensland legend Langer after an SOS from coach Bennett. Despite the lack of media coverage, Lockyer was still awarded the Ron McAuliffe Medal as Queensland player of the series. Brisbane started off the 2001 season in the same form they ended 2000, and sat 2nd on the ladder after 19 rounds. But a late season collapse, losing 6 straight to limp into the finals in 5th position. Lockyer
16074-400: The same day his immediate predecessor as Australian Test captain, Andrew Johns also tied the knot. Lockyer's knee injury was worse than first thought- his decision to play on after the initial ACL rupture resulted in his knee cartilage being damaged, forcing extra surgeries which saw him racing against the clock to start the 2008 NRL season . Ultimately he would line up in a Round 1 win over
16215-501: The same way. Each position has a designated number to identify himself from other players. These numbers help to identify which position a person is playing. The system of numbering players is different depending on which country the match is played in. In Australia and New Zealand, each player is usually given a number corresponding to their playing position on the field. However, since 1996 European teams have been able to grant players specific squad numbers, which they keep without regard to
16356-496: The scrum see rugby league scrummage . Forward positions are traditionally named after the player's position in the scrum yet are equal with respect to "normal play" with the exception of the hooker. Forward positions are traditionally assigned as follows: Rugby league is played in over 70 nations throughout the world. Papua New Guinea is the only country to have rugby league as its national sport . Four countries – Australia, England, France, and New Zealand – have teams that play at
16497-524: The sideline. Rugby league and rugby union are distinct sports with many similarities and a shared origin. Both have the same fundamental rules, are played for 80 minutes and feature an oval-shaped ball and H-shaped goalposts. Both have rules that the ball cannot be passed forward, and dropping it forwards leads to a scrum. Both use tries as the central scoring method and conversion kicks , penalty goals and drop goals as additional scoring methods. However, there are differences in how many points each method
16638-526: The specific issues associated with a tag based game. Rugby League played with nine players per team with nine minutes per half, in addition to slight rule modifications to aid the game. Rugby League played with seven players per team with seven minutes per half, in addition to slight rule modifications to aid the game. The top five attendances for rugby league test matches (International) are: The top five attendances for domestic based rugby league matches are: * NRL double header played to open Round 1 of
16779-633: The sport in the south of the country where most of the Super XIII teams are based. In other parts of Europe, the game is played at semi-professional and amateur level. As of 2023, there is no professional rugby league in North America. From 2017 to 2020, the Toronto Wolfpack were North America 's only active professional Rugby League team, competing in the English Rugby League system. They won
16920-634: The top point-scorer of the 1997 Brisbane Broncos season , and he played a key role in the Broncos side which finished 1st in the Super League table, while also winning the World Club Challenge , the Final being a 36–12 win over the Hunter Mariners . Lockyer won his first finals match as Brisbane dismissed the Cronulla Sharks 34–2, before rematching the Sharks in the Grand Final where the Broncos won
17061-482: The try line. In addition to tries, points can be scored by kicking goals. Drop goals (or field goals) can be attempted from the hand at any time for a single point. Following a successful try, the scoring team gains a free kick to try at goal with a conversion worth a further two points. Penalty kicks at goal, known simply as penalties, may also be awarded for general foul play, and are also worth two points. Unlike drop goals, penalty kicks and conversions are taken from
17202-559: The twelve Super League teams are based outside of these traditional counties: Catalans Dragons and London Broncos . One other team from outside the United Kingdom, Toulouse Olympique , competes in the British rugby league system , although not at the highest tier Super League level, but rather in the second tier Championship . Super League average attendances are in the 8,000 to 9,500 range. The average Super League match attendance in 2014
17343-566: The war. The sport was unbanned after the Liberation of Paris in August 1944 and the collapse of the Vichy regime, although it was still actively marginalised by the French authorities until the 1990s. Despite this, the national side appeared in the finals of the 1954 and 1968 World Cups, and the country hosted the 1954 event. In 1996, a French team, Paris Saint-Germain was one of eleven teams which formed
17484-476: The year went terribly for the Broncos- the club was only able to salvage 1 win and a draw from their first 10 matches, a situation which worsened when club legend Allan Langer retired midseason. Brisbane sat 17th after 10 games, but 12 wins and a draw from their last 14 matches saw them scrape into the finals, a single point ahead of 9th placed Canberra . Brisbane were drawn the tough task of minor premiers Cronulla in
17625-469: Was 8,365. In 2018 average Super League match attendance was 8,547. Ranked the eighth most popular sport in the UK overall, rugby league is the 27th most popular participation sport in England according to figures released by Sport England ; the total number of rugby league participants in England aged 16 and over was 44,900 in 2017. This is a 39% drop from 10 years ago. While the sport is largely concentrated in
17766-437: Was Queensland's fullback for all three games of their unsuccessful 2003 State of Origin series , scoring a try in the 25–12 Game 1 loss. He was named the 2003 Brisbane Broncos season 's best player, as Brisbane endured a 7 game losing streak which saw them slip from 1st to 8th, coinciding with Lockyer missing 4 games, and a 28–18 loss to the eventual premiers, the [Penrith Panthers] in the qualifying final, ending their season. At
17907-517: Was a magnificent player at Origin level but Locky has gone past The King for mine. He's already gone ahead of Andrew Johns, don't worry about that. Former New South Wales State of Origin captain and coach Tommy Raudonikis , 3 May 2011 After performing well at Broncos pre-season training in January, Lockyer declared himself available for the full representative football calendar of 2011. On 28 March 2011, Lockyer announced his retirement stating that
18048-445: Was also the Broncos' top point-scorer as they led the comp for a majority of the season, only for 2 losses at the end of the season consigning them to a 3rd place finish. Brisbane would again lose to Melbourne in the qualifying final, this time a 24–18 loss, before losing to the eventual premiers Wests Tigers 34–6 to end a great season on a very disappointing note. However, experienced commentators continued questioning Lockyer's value as
18189-594: Was commissioned by the NRL and ARL to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia, the only current player to make the list. In June 2008, he was chosen in the Queensland Rugby League's Team of the Century at fullback. In 2008, rugby league in Australia 's centenary year, Lockyer was named at fullback in the Toowoomba and South West Team of the Century. In 2011 part of the Warrego Highway between Ipswich and Toowoomba
18330-538: Was created and had its first world cup in 2022 to coincide with the rescheduled 2021 Rugby League World Cup competitions. Rugby league football takes its name from the bodies that split to create a new form of rugby, distinct from that run by the Rugby Football Unions, in Britain, Australia, and New Zealand between 1895 and 1908. The first of these, the Northern Rugby Football Union , was established in 1895 as
18471-476: Was hosted by England during October and November 2022, staged the Men's , Women's and Wheelchair competitions together for the first time. The competition formerly featured 16 teams, but has been cut down to 10 for the upcoming 2026 Rugby League World Cup . The Asia-Pacific Rugby League Confederation 's purpose is to spread the sport of rugby league throughout their region along with other governing bodies such as
18612-535: Was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame . (Correct to 29 July 2011) Lockyer had a second son on 14 January 2012 called Flynn Martin. Lockyer joined the Nine Network 's rugby league commentary team in 2012, acting as a sideline commentator. Though opting not to have surgery to remove the chipped bone in his throat, he decided to see a speech therapist to help his tone for TV commentary. Lockyer had
18753-682: Was massive media speculation about whether Lockyer would retire from representative football. He opted to continue making himself available to selectors and continued captaining the Kangaroos, taking Lockyer in 2010, captained Queensland to their record-breaking fifth straight series win. In the series sealing victory in Game II, Lockyer was named Man of the Match. This series highlighted how Lockyer over time; has become more and more effective and comfortable in his game-dominating five-eighth role, despite losing much of his renowned athleticism after his 2007 knee injury. In round 16 Lockyer played his 329th game for
18894-563: Was named in the preliminary 46-man Kangaroos squad for the 2008 World Cup , and in October 2008 he was selected in the final 24-man Australia squad. He was named Australian captain and was considered one of the 2008 World Cup 'Players to Watch' by NRL Live. Lockyer scored two tries and was awarded the player of the match medal in the losing effort against the Kiwis at the World Cup final. In Round 8, Lockyer played his 300th first grade game, although
19035-593: Was offered a contract subsequent to a successful trial. However Lockyer chose to stay committed to rugby league. Later in 2001, following Queensland captain Gorden Tallis ' season-ending neck injury before the second game of the 2001 State of Origin series , the Maroons' captaincy was handed to Lockyer. In the third and deciding game of the series, Lockyer was named man-of-the-match, having scored two tries and kicked four goals to help Queensland to victory. Lockyer's heroic game 3 performance, however, has been overshadowed by
19176-452: Was one of Brisbane's best, even during the losing streak, but couldn't prevent a 22–6 loss to Cronulla in the qualifying final. They bounced back against the St George Illawarra Dragons to the tune of 44–28, a game which set the record for highest scoring match in NRL Finals history, before their season came to an end with a 24–16 loss to the minor premiers Parramatta. Lockyer walked away with
19317-501: Was renamed Darren Lockyer Way in his honour. Also, the Queensland State Government agreed to sculpting a life size bronze statue of Darren Lockyer in honour of his achievements in Queensland Rugby League which since 2012 has been standing next to 'The King', Wally Lewis outside Lang Park . In 2012 the "Darren Lockyer Limited Edition 6YO Release" was sold by Bundaberg Rum to celebrate his career. In October 2018, he
19458-520: Was selected in Australia's 2000 World Cup squad, playing 5 games including the 40–12 win over New Zealand in the Final. By this time Lockyer was being called the best fullback in the world. Also in 2000 he received the Australian Sports Medal for his contribution to Australia's international standing in the sport of rugby league Darren pioneered the ball-playing fullback , the No. 1 who can play like
19599-422: Was the first guy to come and talk to my family. As a kid you knew the scouts who were watching and I remember the boys from Roma (where Lockyer grew up) would go to Sydney for trials. "It would have been a big move for me at that age and I was always keen to try my luck with the Broncos. It wasn't long after he (Ella) saw me that I got a scholarship with the Broncos and that's how it has played out". He also worked as
19740-425: Was the top point-scorer. Lockyer also made his debut for the Australian team against New Zealand , becoming Kangaroo No. 661. His debut game was shocking, making some poor mistakes which led to a 22–16 New Zealand win and the departure of long-time Australian coach Bob Fulton . He was again top point-scorer for Brisbane that year, smashing the club record of 193 for most points in a season by scoring 272, coming from
19881-518: Was won by Australia. Unfortunately, these matches do not count towards his official representative statistics as the IRLF refused to validate Super League internationals as test matches, even though the NRL recognises Super League matches as official first grade appearances. In the re-unified 1998 NRL season , Lockyer was selected as the Queensland team's fullback and goal-kicker for all three games of their successful 1998 State of Origin series , in which he
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