Lockyer on trail of Kangaroos records

Darren Lockyer's upcoming Four Nations tour could be the icing on a remarkable
representative career that sends him off as one of the great Kangaroo performers of
all time.

Should the 32 year-old Brisbane five-eighth complete a record-breaking treble in the
upcoming series against England, New Zealand and France, he'll move into immortal
territory alongside some of rugby league's great players.
Lockyer, who leads a 24-man squad to the UK on Friday, will edge past another
Queensland great and centre of the century Mal Meninga as Australia's most capped
Kangaroo if he leads Australia against New Zealand in their Four Nations opener at
in London later this month.
It would put him within one Test of equalling legend Clive Churchill's feat of
captaining the Kangaroos 27 times during the `40s and `50s when the little master
won five premierships with South Sydney.
Lockyer, who has four premierships with the Broncos, is also on target to claim the
late Ken Irvine's all-time try scoring record if he can add two more to his current
Test tally of 32.
Re-writing those records after recently steering Queensland to an unprecedented
fourth straight Origin series could influence his mooted decision to retire from all
representative football in 2010 to devote all his efforts to the Broncos.
Veteran Australian prop Petero Civoniceva can make it a double celebration should he
play in all three Tests and the Kangaroos make the grand final.
The big Fijian-born forward, who has pulled on the green and gold jersey 36 times,
trails St George icon Johnny Raper (39) as the most capped Australian forward.
Lockyer is still to re-sign with Brisbane but it is a fait accompli once he returns
from the UK tour.
Injuries and age may have slowed him but there's no question his brain is still one
of the best in the game.
Brisbane coach Ivan Henjak said he wasn't aware Lockyer was set to return home so
highly decorated.
"I wasn't aware of all those (records)," Brisbane coach Ivan Henjak told AAP.
"It's a real testimony to his longevity and his ability to play two positions."
Lockyer told Henjak he'd make a decision on his representative future early next year.
"He wants to see how he gets through this series and how he feels at the end of it,"
he said.
Henjak would love to have Lockyer's experience and leadership around Origin time but
holds his skipper too highly to try to influence any decision he makes.
"I've got too much respect for what he's done and he is one that needs to make that
decision," he said.
"It would be great to have him around. We've tended to struggle during the
representative time with our experienced guys and our main playmakers being away.
"It would make a big difference to us but Darren deserves the right to make his
decision when he is ready."