League: This is my last tour - Lockyer

Kangaroos captain Darren Lockyer will become Australia's most capped player against the Kiwis on October 24. Photo / Getty Images

Kangaroos captain Darren Lockyer is approaching the Four Nations tournament as his last tour and will make a final decision on his representative future before the beginning of next season.

Lockyer is undecided about continuing with Test and State of Origin football after achieving virtually every honour rugby league has to offer.

The 32-year-old will become Australia's most capped player when he lines up against New Zealand on October 24 and only injury will prevent him overtaking Clive Churchill's record of 27 Tests as captain during the series.

Already this year, he captained Queensland to an unprecedented fourth straight Origin series win.

"Right now I just don't know so this could potentially be my last tour," he told reporters before flying out to London on Friday.

"But in saying that, March next year ... it might be different."

But Lockyer admitted his future would not be far from his thoughts as Australia take on New Zealand, England and France over the next month.

"It's in the back of your mind," he said.

"I think when you get over 30 a lot of things are in the back of your mind but this is highly likely to be my last tour in England so I intend to give it my best shot."

Lockyer said if the Kangaroos were to add the inaugural Four Nations trophy to his resume, they would need to heed the lessons of last year's World Cup final loss to the Kiwis.

"We haven't spoken too much about last year but it does remind you that to be successful we're going to have to work hard and that means taking no short-cuts, doing everything right and performing on the weekend," he said.

"We're not talking about the No.1 thing, we're talking more about winning the Four Nations, that's the first step, that's what we want to do and the result of that will probably mean we're No.1 again.

"We're not going to be hitting our straps game one, we just want to go there with a good attitude and do the little things in the game well.

"There's plenty of pride in the jersey, there's no doubting that."

Champion halfback Johnathan Thurston, though, still feels the pain of last November's 34-20 loss, equating it with North Queensland's 2005 NRL grand final defeat.

"It was probably one of the lowest points in my career ... when you think about it, the back hunches over and it still sort of hurts a bit," he said.

"... You lose the grand final and you're shattered because that's what you train all year for.

"And then in the World Cup you get together and you form a pretty special bond and then you lose the final and it's certainly sort of the same feeling of being gutted, can't believe it's just happened."

- AAP