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Message: [QUOTE="langer77, post: 2363255, member: 2280"] [b]Lockyer Will Never Be Bettered:Gallen[/b] Sharks Captain and Australian teammate Paul Gallen doubts the achievements of retiring NRL legend Darren Lockyer's achievements will ever be replicated. The Broncos and Origin legend announced he would be retiring at season's end. He is two games short of taking former New Zealand skipper Ruben Wiki’s record for most international matches, currently sitting on 54 games for Australia, a feat Gallen says he deserves to reach. “He’s the type of guy that when he talks everyone listens, he’s a legend of the game, hopefully he’ll break the all time games record because he deserves it,” he told sportsnewsfirst.com.au. “He never panics, he’s always composed, and he’s an 80-minute player who makes everyone want to bring out the best because more often than not, he makes you play your best game.” The possible New South Wales captain recalls a story earlier this year during the All Stars camp in the Gold Coast where the five-eighth backed him despite the objection of legendary coach Wayne Bennett. “We were in the All-Stars camp and we were trying to figure out who was going to play where because the team was sort of thrown together,” Gallen explained. “We were talking about what side of the field we wanted to play on and Hindmarsh didn’t want to play on an edge and I wanted to play left edge but Ashley Harrison threw his hand up first in the meeting and claimed the left side. “Then Hindmarsh was starting right edge and I knew he didn’t want to start there so I put my hand up and said I'll go there. “Then Bennett’s gone ‘you’ and I said yes, he said ‘you sure? I don’t want you on the bloody edge I seen you miss a s**t load of tackles out there’, everyone was laughing. “Lockyer actually stood up and said I’ve had him inside me a fair few times before and vouched for me so Wayne said ‘alright you can play there but only because Locky’s backed you up’.” The 29-year-old who made his test debut in 2008 a long side Lockyer who made his debut 10 years earlier said it is the 34-year-old who is a true hard man of the game and gets nowhere near the recognition he deserves. “The last 10 years I’ve been playing, half backs are targeted a lot in defence and he has that every week and still been able to play the amount of games at the level that he has,” he said. “I have to take my hat off to him, people talk about toughness and a lot of forwards get wraps... guys like him are the toughest in the game.” A huge loss to the game and the Brisbane side, Gallen said the veteran has nothing left to prove. “In the near future no-one can replace what he’s done and I don’t if anyone will play the amount of Test and Origins he’s played, he’s done it all," Gallen said. [url="http://www.sharks.com.au/default.aspx?s=article-display&id=34887&title=gallen-lockyer-will-never-be-bettered"]http://www.sharks.com.au/default.aspx?s ... e-bettered[/url] [/QUOTE]

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