League: Veterans follow different paths

Kangaroo Lote Tuqiri prepares to enter the pool with the aid of flotation devices in Sydney yesterday. Photo / Getty Images

SYDNEY - While record-breaking Darren Lockyer says Sunday's Four Nations rugby league match was his last test on Sydney soil, his veteran offsider Petero Civoniceva hasn't ruled out playing at test level in 2012.

With next May's one-off test against New Zealand being held across the Tasman, and the 2011 Four Nations back in Europe, Lockyer feels the 42-0 drubbing of Papua New Guinea at Parramatta Stadium would very likely be his last test in Sydney.

But 34-year-old Civoniceva, thought to be in the same boat as Lockyer, isn't quite ready to follow suit.

"I'm still enjoying playing football at this level and the body's holding up OK," the Penrith skipper said at a Kangaroos recovery session yesterday. "I still use a lot of strapping, but I'm getting there.

"We'll just have to wait and see how the body holds up next year."

With a four-pointer against the Kumuls, Lockyer passed Ken Irvine as Australia's leading test try-scorer with 34, and Civoniceva believes it's only a matter of time before the Broncos' skipper is made an Immortal.

And while Sunday night's clash produced a one-sided victory on paper, Civoniceva feels the scoreline didn't quite tell the full story - going as far as suggesting a win in the Four Nations tournament may even be within reach for the Kumuls.

"They're tough men and they play a tough style of football, a bit unorthodox at times but it was certainly a good warm-up for us," he said. "They're definitely going to trouble a lot of teams.

"They play with a lot of passion and a lot of commitment, they have a lot of pride wearing that Papua New Guinea jersey.

"Rugby league is the number one sport there so obviously they'll want to do their country proud."

PNG are set to take on New Zealand in Rotorua on Saturday while Australia face England in Melbourne on Sunday.

- AAP