EXCLUSIVE: Darren Lockyer defends Broncos decision to let 'top bloke' Tom Dearden leave before Origin stunner
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Brisbane director Darren Lockyer says he doesn't regret letting Tom Dearden leave the Broncos four years before he became the toast of State of Origin.
The 24-year-old halfback was a Red Hill junior who began his NRL career at the famous Brisbane club in 2019, playing 22 games for the Broncos across two and a half seasons.
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When Brisbane signed South Sydney premiership winner Adam Reynolds midway through the 2021 season, Dearden was allowed to leave immediately and he moved north to Townsville to play for the Cowboys.
Reynolds led the Broncos to the 2023 NRL grand final and went within 15 minutes of winning the club's first premiership since 2006.
The Cowboys have struggled in recent years under coach Todd Payten, but Dearden has been a shining light and the livewire playmaker is now one of the best in the competition.
Tom Dearden for the Broncos as a youngster. Getty
So much so that Queensland coach Billy Slater sensationally axed his captain Daly Cherry-Evans mid-Origin series in order to put Dearden in the No.7 role.
The blond Maroons star stood out in games two and three and won the Wally Lewis Medal for player of the series, thanks largely to a blinder in the Sydney decider.
A week after Dearden's crowning moment, Lockyer was asked if the Broncos wish they had kept him on their books.
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"I think at the time the Broncos were looking for an experienced halfback," he told Wide World of Sports' QLDER.
"So I don't begrudge the decision at the time, I just think that was the situation the Broncos were in and no doubt Adam Reynolds had an immediate impact.
"Tom has gone to the Cowboys and worked his way back to the top."
Reynolds is 11 years older than Dearden but has just signed on to play for the Broncos again in 2026, when he will be turning 36.
Tom Dearden shows off his Wally Lewis Medal in Sydney. Getty
Whether Lockyer resents Dearden playing for North Queensland or not, the Maroons legend is in awe of the diminutive playmaker.
"He's a competitor, and just a top bloke," Lockyer said.
"He never disappoints with his effort every week, and this series has been wonderful for his development, he's only going to grow and get more confident and get better as a halfback.
"It's a reward for his effort, he deserves the Wally Lewis Medal, and it's great to see him achieve that.
"Obviously he left the Broncos to join the Cowboys and he's now where he belongs."
Legendary Queensland five-eighth Wally Lewis was proud to hand Dearden the medal named in his honour.
"What I like about him is he's a very determined young man," Lewis told QLDER.
"I like him as a footy player and as a bloke, because there is no BS about him, he gets out there and does the level best that he can every single time."
The Broncos have won five straight games and rocketed into fifth spot on the NRL ladder, while the Cowboys have lost two close ones in a row and are fighting to make finals.
Dearden will lead North Queensland out against the Dolphins on Thursday night, while the Broncos have a round 20 bye.
