Lockyer was an influential figure in Queensland's Origin planning. Source: Brett Costello / News Limited
DARREN Lockyer is back to haunt the Blues.
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Lockyer, Origin's most capped player with 36 appearances, retired from representative football after spearheading Queensland's 2-1 series win in 2011.
But Lockyer has remained part of the Maroons' Origin camp, taking part in performance reviews aimed at upholding Queensland's dominance under Meninga that began in 2006.
Queensland Rugby League boss Peter Betros revealed the Maroons' quest for eight straight began in December, when Lockyer was summoned for the first of a series of Origin planning sessions.
Meninga spoke of a youth policy and his desire to inject fresh blood, headlined by Daly Cherry-Evans and Josh Papalii, into the Queensland set-up.
But it was Lockyer's critique, touching on player welfare and the perils of burnout, that helped the Maroons establish training patterns that underpinned their series win.
"We actually brought in Darren Lockyer for some input into our program. He stayed involved right through the Origin period," Betros said on Friday.
"Darren was involved in the planning, he provided some very valuable input into our success this year. His experience over a long period of time is invaluable."
Locky said when players come into camp, they can already be tired.
The NRL is a very tough competition and the last thing that they need when they come into camp is to be run into the ground.
"We structured our training in a way to ensure the guys weren't burnt out and it had the desired effect."
Other key planks were Meninga's push for new faces and his idea to introduce the squad to the heroes of 1959, the last Queensland side to beat NSW before the birth of State of Origin.
"The fact Cherry-Evans, Papalii and Chris McQueen got a run this year is testament to the success of our program," Betros said.
"A lot of people pointed to the age of our Origin players. Mal and the QRL were very aware that we had to bring along the next generation of players.
"Mal was right behind the 1959 initiative and that helped the current group understand that while NSW hadn't won a series in seven years, Queensland went 21 years without winning a series before Origin.
"Mal has done a superb job, his mind is generally on how to bring elite Queensland players through to the top of the game."
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