League: Thurston ready to take Lockyer's role

MELBOURNE - Halfback Johnathan Thurston's superb man-of-the-match performance in Queensland's 28-18 State of Origin win confirmed he is ready to step into Darren Lockyer's role once the champion five-eighth calls an end to his representative career.

There's been speculation that 32-year-old Lockyer - on the verge of signing a new two-year deal with Brisbane - could hang up his representative boots at the end of the season should Queensland claim an unprecedented fourth straight Origin series.

If he does, Thurston showed on Wednesday night the Maroons will not experience the same problems finding a new match-winner as they did when Wally Lewis' retirement hit them hard in the 1990s.

Thurston has struck a purple patch of form, scoring 80 points in his last five games - three NRL wins, a test victory over New Zealand and Wednesday night's Origin.

He ran the show against NSW with Lockyer content to play a lesser role behind his confident No 7 whose running, passing and kicking games were outstanding in the victory.

As usual, Thurston deflected credit, saying he was working off the back of his forwards, Petero Civoniceva, Steve Price and Ben Hannant.

A premiership-winner with the Bulldogs before moving to North Queensland to further develop his game, Thurston has now established himself as one of league's best.

He stepped up on Wednesday night when Lockyer's game was not at its best and played with an air of confidence that proved he can take over the attacking reins when the time comes.

While NSW halfback Peter Wallace and rookie No 6 Terry Campese struggled to click on Wednesday night, Thurston and Lockyer were perfectly in sync.

Thurston was keen to take on more responsibility with the football in hand, knowing it was helping Lockyer.

"That's my role in the team to lead the boys around and try and find a good kick at the end of the set," he said.

"We've spent a fair bit of time together now and we know each other's games pretty well.

"I know his body language on the field and when he wants the ball when he wants us to get out of own end.

"I think we're working fine."

Thurston credited Lockyer's composure when NSW charged back within six points late in the match.

"When they scored that last try a few of us started to panic but he's got that calming influence where he keeps every together and looks ahead to what we need to do," Thurston said. "That's what you need in a captain."

Meanwhile, NSW want the opportunity to back their belief that they can stop Queensland's stars from making State of Origin history in Sydney then claim the series themselves.

The new-look NSW team's second half fightback was enough to convince them they can topple a Maroons side on the brink of a record fourth straight series win.

"I just hope the selectors give us another chance to have a crack at the Queenslanders because I thought we had them on the ropes in the second half," said rookie hooker Robbie Farah. "A couple of opportunities that we take advantage of and I think it's a different story."

The last time NSW came from behind to win a series was when Andrew Johns came out of representative retirement in 2005 to lead the Blues to a 32-10 triumph in Origin III at Suncorp Stadium.

That year the Blues lost Origin I in golden point extra-time but then won in Sydney and a decider at Brisbane to secure a 2-1 series win.

Blues utility Craig Wing has played in two Origin series wins and believes the current NSW team, which featured seven debutants in Melbourne's Etihad Stadium, have the ability to not only level the series at Sydney's ANZ Stadium on June 24, but upset Queensland on home territory in a decider.

"I think there's a lot of potential here and it's just a matter of getting the combinations happening a little bit better and players working together a bit more," said Wing.

- AAP