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Message: [QUOTE="Danoz Direct, post: 2744303, member: 8457"] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]DARREN Lockyer has named Michael Morgan as the Test successor to Johnathan Thurston, likening him to Eels and NSW great Brett Kenny.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]Morgan’s stunning rise as a representative player continues when the Cowboys star makes his Test debut against New Zealand in Newcastle.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]The 24-year-old will be the Kangaroos’ interchange utility, but Lockyer believes it is only a matter of time before Morgan seriously challenges for the Queensland and Australia No. 6 jumpers.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]Thurston, who turned 33 a fortnight ago, will quit representative football after next year’s World Cup, clearing the path for Morgan and Brisbane’s Anthony Milford.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]Parramatta legend Kenny waged some absorbing Origin battles with Maroons rival Wally Lewis and Lockyer said Morgan had similar skills to fill the Thurston void at state and Test level.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]“There’s other good sixes out there like Anthony Milford but there’s no reason why Morgan can’t succeed Thurston,” said Lockyer, who captained Australia 38 times during his record 59-Test career. “Morgan is a renowned running style of half but he will learn a lot from JT (Thurston) and (halfback) Cooper Cronk in this camp. [/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]“He’s actually got a bit of Brett Kenny about him. Like Kenny, Morgo is a strong runner of the football, has the ability to consistently make linebreaks and has some skill with the ball.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]“Kenny probably had a touch more class but I see Morgan being a classical five-eighth like Brett.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]“Playing Origin last year has done wonders for him. He is a more complete player now and (Cowboys coach) Paul Green can take a lot of credit for that. He has brought the best out in a lot of players up there.’’[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]Morgan has formed a lethal scrumbase alliance with Thurston at the Cowboys. The pair have a combined 22 try assists and 20 linebreak assists this season, while Morgan alone has produced six linebreaks in nine games.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga is set to deploy Morgan in a supporting role for hooker Cameron Smith but Morgan insists he is equipped to cope with defending around the rucks after coming off the bench for Queensland last year.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]“I don’t know what time of the game I will go on,” Morgan said. “It will depend how the game is going and hopefully there are no injuries. [/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]“Chances are I will head on in the middle and do a bit of defending and push up around our bigger forwards.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]“I just want to make the most of it. Mal has spoken to the guys this week about what it means to represent Australia and how passionate he is about it.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]“He is showing us what it should mean. When I grew up, Australia was No. 1 in the world by far and when they played they wouldn’t get beaten.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]“It’s knowing the history of the jumper and never taking it for granted.’’[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]Kangaroos enforcer and Cowboys teammate James Tamou said Morgan has the ability to follow in the playmaking footsteps of Thurston.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#333333][FONT=Open Sans Regular]“He’s that good he could succeed JT,” he said. “With the things he is doing now, it’s scary to think where Morgo is now as a player and what he can produce in the future.” [url]http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/darren-lockyer-has-named-michael-morgan-as-the-test-successor-to-johnathan-thurston/news-story/fb1928bff27028f335acf773a1f338bc[/url] [B]Personally I would like to see how he goes when he isn't next to Thurston before naming him the main option for successor. But what does everyone else think?[/B][/FONT][/COLOR] [/QUOTE]

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