Brand new era, same old passion

Darren Lockyer’s retirement after the Four Nations final in England has heralded the start of a year of change for the Queensland State of Origin team.

Obviously being without our champion captain and five-eighth for the first since Darren’s debut in 1998 means a major shake-up in our preparations, but next season marks a major transition point for the way we will handle Origin in the years to come.

As you are probably aware, in 2012 I will begin a four-year deal with the Queensland Rugby League that will see me stay on as coach of the Maroons, and also undertake a new full-time role to develop league in Queensland.

The opportunity to coach Queensland at Origin level for 10 years in a row is obviously a terrific privilege and honour for me, but importantly, the expansion of the role and the chance to have an input into the direction and development of the game in this state is very exciting as well.

Dealing with Rob Moore and the QRL board has been terrific.

They all have the interests of the game and Queensland at heart, and that is why I think they are receptive to ideas that will keep us on the leading edge of rugby league administration.

This position is not a luxury for Queensland.

It really was a necessity, because we simply do not have the junior numbers coming through the ranks to keep pace with NSW, or even New Zealand.

We need to keep doing things better to make sure Queensland stays strong.

We have been blessed with a fantastic side at the moment, but the challenge for us long-term will be to maintain that standard, and ensure that the next generation of stars is given the opportunities they need to succeed.

We just do not have the numbers to compete with NSW, but what we need to keep doing is making sure that lack of quantity is balanced by superior quality.

To do that, one of the tasks in my new role will be the instigation of a high-performance rugby league unit – something I think will be very important to our long-term success.

With that in place, we will have control over our talent identification and junior development systems, making sure that the best young players are given every chance to make their mark on the Origin stage for Queensland.

I will also be looking at issues like succession management, and planning ahead for continued Origin success in the future.

I am even hoping to be involved in things like sitting on the board at times, to discuss our strategic direction.

It is a bit of an all-round role. Not actually working in the QRL, but working for it, and hopefully playing an important role in the future direction of the QRL and the game itself in Queensland.

Origin is just so important, not just to the states, but to rugby league as a whole that the coaching role had to evolve from what it was – an added burden on an NRL coach.

We were the first to realise what a difference it could make by not having a Queensland coach torn by NRL responsibilities, and obviously NSW have followed our lead there with Ricky Stuart now the dedicated Blues coach.

Now, the QRL have moved forward again to stay ahead of the curve, and I am very happy to be a part of it.

Everyone is very happy and comfortable with the arrangement we’ve come to and I think all parties are similarly excited about what we can achieve together.

Next season, as we push for seven series wins in a row, the challenge to maintain our standards and continue building our legacy gets tougher again.

The task has been made harder with Darren’s retirement, with the team and the game itself losing not only a tremendous player, but a wonderful leader of men.

Queensland faces a big challenge in 2012, but it is in the face of adversity when Queensland stands tall.