League: Ropati could be our Lockyer

There are a few theories on why Australia got out of a tight jam in Melbourne in a way the Kiwis would struggle to match.

Maybe it came down to a handful of Kiwi errors at the vital stages opening the door enough for the Kangaroos to kick it wide open.

For mine though, the biggest overall difference between the sides over two tests can be summed up in two words, the first of which is Darren.

The brilliant Mr Lockyer, the husky-voiced champion, is not only a great footballer. He revels in maintaining an even keel when to the outside observer his team's hopes are sunk.

Which automatically begs the question: where is New Zealand going to get a Darren Lockyer? Nowhere for now is the obvious answer.

But the best long-term No 6 bet has to be Warrior Jerome Ropati and the time to find out his capabilities is now, even with the defence of the Tri-Nations title on the line.

The Kiwis may have got ahead of themselves when Stacey Jones slotted the 72nd minute field goal for a 15-8 lead at the Telstra Dome.

Yet this was a situation almost tailor-made for Lockyer. He has got both Queensland and Australia out of similar scrapes before. Lockyer is the man most likely to be calm in a storm.

The moment that turned the test Australia's way was classic Lockyer. Spotting an opportunity to the left he sprang and sent Greg Inglis away with a perfect long pass.

Lockyer was obviously born with certain gifts but his abilities have also been acquired in the hurly-burly of NRL, State of Origin and test football.

It's difficult imagining that New Zealand standoff Nigel Vagana could have performed similar deeds. Whatever the Kiwi selections may indicate, Vagana still looks like a centre - and a superb one at his best - playing out of position.

He retains the try-scoring knack he showed as a Warriors reserve grader in the mid-1990s, when the star-struck club failed to nurture his talent through to first grade.

And Vagana can still be a major asset in the centres for the Kiwis, probably in place of the aggressive Steve Matai, who is under an injury cloud this week anyway.

This would leave Ropati, who has played test and club football from fullback to hooker, free to make standoff his home, especially as the Kiwis' dummy half stocks have now improved. Ropati is not a sure bet and his concentration is sometimes under question, but this is a moment to invest in the future. He has a widely skilled game, but needs to build experience.

This Tri-Nations would also ease Ropati in to the test standoff role while Stacey Jones is on the scene.

A major asset that Ropati has over Vagana is the potential to match what Lockyer did in the 75th minute of the Melbourne test. Ropati can take the ball at pace and throw sharp passes on the run.

Great Britain could give the Kiwis a sterner test than many might imagine. Their starting XIII at least look very strong. But they are not in Australia's league.

Ropati will never learn how to get his team out of scrapes - the way Lockyer does - unless he gets put into them.

I'm not one to heavily link the Warriors and Kiwis, because the Kiwis need their identity and the New Zealand game needs diversity.

But there would be a two-way benefit if Ropati were allowed to cut his teeth as a test standoff. New Zealand and the Warriors are crying out for a world-class No 6. This is as good a time as any to kick the process along.