Lockyer to call it quits

[redwhiteandbluester]

Big call! How about Wally? Unfortunately Wally stayed in QLD too long in the local comp and didn't get the recognition he would have had he come to Sydney. Technically and leadership wise Wally was far better.

Wally's best form, and capacity to influence absolutely massive games like Origin, is right up there with the very best of all time and certainly ahead of Lockyer and probably Fittler and Johns too. But Wally failed when he tried his hand in the Sydney comp with Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Maybe the Brisbane comp was of a decent standard but he never dominated a strong comp every Sunday afternoon like Fittler, Johns and especially Lockyer all managed to do. Age and quality of teammates wasn't really a factor either - Wally played with the Broncos between 1988 and 1990, aged 28 to 30, in a very decent football team. By comparison, Lockyer won a premiership at 29, Fittler at 30 (and GFs at 31 and 32), and Johns was still playing for Australia at 32. Wally's lack of week-to-week performances in the very best competition is a glaring weakness when comparing him to these other three.

But when comparing what they could do on a football field at their best, especially in the big games on a consistent basis, Wally is probably first and Lockyer is a very distant fourth.

[Guest]

I saw Wally do things in STOOL that no player should be able to do.

[Rooster_6]

He goes down with Freddy as a great of the game, Johns was special he's probably a cut above those two and the next immortal.

Past that I'm too young to comment.

[Guest]

Wally's best form, and capacity to influence absolutely massive games like Origin, is right up there with the very best of all time and certainly ahead of Lockyer and probably Fittler and Johns too. But Wally failed when he tried his hand in the Sydney comp with Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Maybe the Brisbane comp was of a decent standard but he never dominated a strong comp every Sunday afternoon like Fittler, Johns and especially Lockyer all managed to do. Age and quality of teammates wasn't really a factor either - Wally played with the Broncos between 1988 and 1990, aged 28 to 30, in a very decent football team. By comparison, Lockyer won a premiership at 29, Fittler at 30 (and GFs at 31 and 32), and Johns was still playing for Australia at 32. Wally's lack of week-to-week performances in the very best competition is a glaring weakness when comparing him to these other three.

But when comparing what they could do on a football field at their best, especially in the big games on a consistent basis, Wally is probably first and Lockyer is a very distant fourth.

I think you will find Wally went alright when playing for the Broncos. He was the leading tryscorer in their first year and remember it was a brand new team.

[Guest]

As in his off-field and on-field lives, Lockyer was in a charmed existence.

Chook.