BANG. Bang. Two tackles, two minutes now sit back and watch the fireworks.

The Broncos' Corey Norman is celebrating his 21st birthday but it's Saturday when he's determined to come of age as Darren Lockyer's replacement.

THEY will all be playing for Arthur Beetson in Saturday's All Stars match, but few of them will be feeling him as much as Justin Hodges.

BRISBANE Broncos Test winger Jharal Yow Yeh has been banished to feeder club Norths Devils after sleeping in on Australia Day.

DAVID Hala was on crutches, Josh McGuire was on the ground clutching his eye and Anthony Griffin was thinking pre-season had just gone pear shaped.

PAUL Gallen was the most popular pick, while Wayne Bennett sprung two surprises with his coach's pick in naming the NRL All Stars side. Team

TERRY Campese's hopes of resurrecting his NSW Origin career received a huge boost yesterday when he was named in the emerging Blues squad.

JACK Reed is proud of his five Test caps for England, but realises they mean nothing to the Broncos young guns looking to take his centre spot.

BRONCOS coach Anthony Griffin has vowed to select teams without fear or favour in the first year of the club's post-Darren Lockyer era.

RUGBY league fans have shown the love for Petero Civoniceva, who has finished the ninth most popular player when NRL All Stars voting closed.

DALE Copley finished the season on the wing for Brisbane, but don't be surprised to see him in the centres or at fullback next year.

MOVE over Benji, Billy and Jarryd - it looks like the NRL has a new poster boy. Jack Reed is the NRL's most popular player.

A 24-hour flight from England gave Darren Lockyer all the time he needed to accept that life as he knew it was over.

AS first representative seasons go, Jharal Yow Yeh's is hard to beat.

WE'VE had his last NRL game, last home game, last Origin game, last Origin game at home and last Test in Australia. When will it end?

The Broncos' Corey Norman is celebrating his 21st birthday but it's Saturday when he's determined to come of age as Darren Lockyer's replacement.

BRISBANE are at risk of being gazumped for the signature of star halfback Peter Wallace, who is on the radar of several NRL rivals for 2013.

GIVE it to Cooper Cronk now. There is no one better to fill out the Queensland No.7 jumper.

BEN Hunt and Corey Norman will team up in the halves on Saturday as they start their battle to wear Darren Lockyer's old No.6 jersey.

YOUNG Broncos prop David Hala faces at least six weeks on the sidelines after an Australia Day training mishap.

REIGNING premiers Manly face the possibility of being torn apart at the end of this year.

IT IS the succession plan made in heaven. Darren Lockyer will be groomed to take over from Mal Meninga as Queensland State of Origin coach.

JUSTIN Hodges is on track to complete his first full pre-season in years, providing a big boost to the Darren Lockyer-less Brisbane Broncos.

PHIL ROTHFIELD delivers his fearless predictions on what to expect in the 2012 NRL season.

RECENTLY retired rugby league great Darren Lockyer is being chased to play Aussie rules alongside his younger brother Matt.

THE Broncos young guns have been been put on notice that big things are expected of them in 2012.

HE was the final player signed in Brisbane's roster for 2011 - but 35 matches later and Jack Reed is the hardest working man in league.

AGE is yet to weary Petero Civoniceva who will decide in March whether to play on for Queensland in the hope of a seventh straight State of Origin success.

DARREN Lockyer has anointed Cameron Smith the next Aussie skipper as the veteran prepares for his final Test in the Four Nations final.

DARREN Lockyer can still remember when the Australian team room consisted of a ping pong table and a glass fridge full of XXXX.