All hail the sultan of Suncorp

I pull the maroon and gold jersey over my head, smooth down the shoulders and ritualistically pat the Broncos logo.

Walking into the hallowed Suncorp Stadium I know I'm not alone. A faithful servant of the past two seasons, I bear witness with 60,000 of my fellow supporters.

We are here for a common purpose: to see our team take out a victory.

The passion and pride are infectious. The hum of the fans turns into vicious booing. The opposition are making their way onto the field, into Broncos territory, and we don't take kindly to strangers.

A familiar voice silences the crowd. "Here they come, make some noise for the home team, for your team ... THE BRISBANE BRONCOS! Led by their captain ... wearing the number six jersey, Darren Lockyer!"

The frenzied crowd erupts, matched by a dazzling spectacle of fireworks.

The media have built this up to be the game of the round and, possibly, a defining moment in the season. But I mustn't let the hype go to my head. I must focus and prepare for the opening whistle. The first hit up, the incredible impact, the crunching of bodies; it gets my blood surging as two fearless warriors do battle in the arena.

Screams and cheers from a group of faithful fans grabs my attention. Waving their homemade sign, "All Hail the Sultan of Suncorp", it gets me thinking. Is Darren Lockyer the greatest player of all time? If not him, then who? The contenders and the pretenders - who's who?

Lockyer, an exceptional player, is among one of the true contenders, even if as an avid Broncos fan I may have some bias. He has achieved almost everything there is to achieve in rugby league, setting the standard to which others aspire.

He made an instant impression on the game in his debut at fullback for the Broncos in 1995, going on to win the club's rookie of the year prize. His positional change from fullback to five-eighth in 2004 was a surprise to most fans but, in hindsight, a defining career moment. This is where he has made his true dominance felt, commentator Phil Gould proclaiming "the world's greatest fullback is now the world's greatest five-eighth".

Lockyer's resume is like no other. Many have tried and many have failed to acquire this type of magnificence. But a great player doesn't just perform valiant miracles on the footy field. He has to be someone to look up to as a role model.

In times when more and more so-called role models are in the spotlight for the wrong reasons, Lockyer appears to be the exception. When he does burst through a tackle into the limelight, it is not for another assault or rape charge, but for his sheer brilliance; his ability to control the game.

Rarely do we find a talent with a stats sheet capable of projecting him into Queensland Rugby League's team of the century and, as importantly, the ability to keep out of trouble.

We can look up to and truly admire him. That is what makes Lockyer so great: the ability to give us incredible plays and leave us with impeccable qualities to aspire to.

"All Hail the Sultan of Suncorp."

Samuel Riechelmann, Year 13, Hamilton Boys' High School