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Darren Lockyer - Source: Photosport -
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Allan "Alfie" Langer's advice to Darren Lockyer is a message born from experience and regret.
"If I do say anything to him I would say 'don't make a hasty decision'," says Langer.
Record-setting Kangaroos captain Lockyer plays his 50th and quite possibly last Test for Australia in Saturday night's Four Nations tournament final in Leeds.
Lockyer says he'll wait until the emotion of the tournament passes before making a decision on his representative future, consulting family and friends as to whether he pushes on toward another tour of duty for Queensland and Australia.
One man who knows what's involved is already close by.
Halfback Langer was at the young Lockyer's side the first time he played for Brisbane, the first time he played for Queensland and the first time he made the starting line-up for Australia.
He'l also be there at Elland Road on Saturday night running out the water to Lockyer and his team.
He says the champion pivot should think long and hard before drawing the curtain on his glittering rep career.
"If he still feels up to it, I can't see why he should retire from rep footy. They're still the best games on the calendar," Langer said.
"We've got some great players there (for Queensland and Australia), but if Darren Lockyer's there it gives that extra incentive for the team.
"I'm sure he won't make the wrong decision."
Langer admits he made the wrong call when he gave the game away midway through the 1999 season, Lockyer's fifth at the club.
The wily halfback, who had long-running battles with both Ricky Stuart and Andrew Johns for the Australian No.7 jumper, did of course make it back for that memorable Origin clash when he was flown in from England under a cloud of secrecy to play in the 2001 series decider.
He also played for Queensland the following year before eventually hanging up the boots for good, but his rueful tone is an obvious warning to Lockyer.
"I probably regret retiring when I did, now that my career is over," Langer says.
"You don't realise until you're out of the game how much you really miss it.
"The only reason I got back into is because I missed the game that much. I'd still like to be playing."
But timing is everything when it comes to retirement in football, whether it's from the rep scene of the whole game.
And given his remarkable career achievements and milestones racked up in the last 12 months, it's easy to see why Lockyer could consider Saturday's tournament finale a logical departure point.
Having led Queensland to an unprecedented fourth straight series win earlier in the year, Lockyer has turned his attention to personal milestones away from home.
During this series he has broken the records for most games played for Australia and most appearances as captain.
He has equalled Ken Irvine's record for most tries in the green and gold and will become the first Australian to reach a half century of Tests on Saturday night.
And with a revenge mission in the World Cup in 2013 probably out of his reach, a win on Saturday night may just provide the perfect send-off for one of the game's greats.
"It's hard to compare, but you've got to rate him up there with the best of them," says Langer, who played football with the likes of Wally Lewis and team of the century centre Mal Meninga.
"Not too many players can play 50 Tests, especially not these days.
"He's been lucky to have not have had many injuries, but to play at this level for that many years, you have to be pretty versatile.
"He was once the best fullback in the world and now he's the best five-eighth in the world.
"It's remarkable that he's been able to do it in two positions."
So on the eve of what could perhaps be his last Test and safe in the knowledge that he has set records which will take some breaking, is Lockyer getting a little emotional?
"Potentially it could be the last but that's not how I approach it," Lockyer says.
"I haven't thought beyond the game - at the moment there's 80 minutes in front of me and I'll play the game as hard as I would whether it was my first.
"Whether it's number one or 50, that doesn't change my attitude towards the game."
