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Darren Lockyer - Source: Getty Images
All year they've done their best to make sure Darren Lockyer's NRL farewell tour had a happy ending, but New Zealand duo Gerard Beale and Alex Glenn are desperate to spoil his final match on home soil.
Brisbane teammates less than a month ago, Beale and Glenn vowed to do whatever it takes to ruin Lockyer's final match on Australian soil when the Kiwis take on Australia in Sunday's Test in Newcastle.
Second-rower Glenn will be playing on the same side of the field as the champion five-eighth, and said he wouldn't be holding back when it came to stopping his club captain.
"I won't (test out his injured cheekbone), I'm not that type of player, but if I'm going to have to shut him down somehow, I'll shut him down," Glenn told reporters.
"I've got to do my job out there for the team, that's the first thing I'll be worrying about.
"(Lockyer and Brisbane forward Sam Thaiday) are on my side of the field as well, it's going to be a challenge.
"It will be a bit sad to end it for Locky if it came that way (and New Zealand win), but I'm just going out there to do my job and at the end of the game when the hooter goes we'll all be mates again."
By an unlucky coincidence it was Beale's stray knee which broke Lockyer's cheekbone in the elimination final victory over St George Illawarra.
It prematurely ended the 355-game veteran's NRL career, forcing Lockyer to watch on from the stands as Brisbane were knocked out by Manly.
The rookie centre said he was looking forward to knocking Lockyer down again, albeit on the scoreboard this time.
"That's funny, I've played with him all year and now to run out against him is going to be something different," he said.
"But I guess it's a new challenge and I'm going to do all I can for New Zealand.
"I can't wait, always looking up to Lockyer at the Broncos and now playing against him is going to be an awesome feeling."
Lockyer said he had 100% confidence in his fitness, and said he wouldn't be taking the field if he hadn't fully recovered from the fractured cheekbone.
"If I had any doubts about my mental preparation for the game because of it, and I thought it was going to be an issue on the field I would've told Tim earlier in the week," he said.
"But I'm 100% confident there won't be a problem."
