"The thing with Gerard this year is no matter where we put him - centre, wing, fullback - he performed," Lockyer said. "He even played a bit at hooker for us, so he is very versatile. He's very strong, he's got great feet and a great attitude so he'll be fine."
Beale also has solid knees, as Lockyer found out when a collision with one ended his NRL career prematurely during a finals match against the Dragons. Lockyer ended that match with a depressed cheekbone, while Beale must have felt like the man who shot Bambi.
Lockyer invested plenty of energy into helping Beale pick himself up. On Sunday the master playmaker will be out to pick him apart, while Beale will be out to play party pooper at a second Lockyer farewell gig.
"That is funny," Beale said. "I have played with him all year so to run out against him is going to be something different. I always looked up to him at the Broncos. Playing against him is going to be awesome."
Every test debut comes with its challenges. For Beale the biggest will be Tony "T-Rex" Williams rampaging down his side of the field.
"He'll be out there to kill, I guess. But that is footy, I am not expecting it to be easy. It is Australia, they [have] got a lot of talent - but so do we."
Glenn is the other young Bronco out to wreck his club mentor's final test on Australian soil. Having been an unused 18th man for the last two Anzac tests, the 23-year-old back rower has certainly served his apprenticeship.
"I am grateful the way it has happened," said Glenn. "I haven't had to cop everything at once. The last two years really gave me the experience of what goes into the camps leading up to big games like these."
Lockyer will be running the cutter on his side of the field but Glenn said he wouldn't be out to test the Kangaroos legend's repaired cheekbone.
"I'm not that type of player, but if I have to shut him down somehow I will shut him down. I've got to do my job for the team, that is the first thing I will be worrying about."
Glenn turned down selection for the Australian national touch team and the Queensland under 19 side because he didn't want to jeopardise his Kiwis eligibility.
Asked how he viewed Johnathan Thurston's comments that the Kiwis were favourites for Sunday's match and the Four Nations, Glenn eschewed the chance to reclaim underdog status.
"Yeah we're the champs but I see both teams as equal," he said. "We have both got a lot of skill and a lot of talent."
The cauldron of NRL finals football - particularly that fateful match against the Dragons - had been great preparation for the test matches, he said.
"I'm ready to go out there and do a job for the nation."
