Darren Lockyer's autobiography fills 400 pages and contains 105,000 words but the champion rugby league player admits he's still wracking his brain about the few lines he'll write in the copy he gives to former coach and mentor Wayne Bennett.

Bennett's memoirs were titled: "Don't die with the music in you", something 34-year-old Lockyer won't be doing when he retires at the end of the year holding the all-time appearance records for club, state and country.

"I guess when the music stops for me, I will miss it," said the Brisbane five-eighth at the launch of his book `Darren Lockyer' with author Dan Koch in Brisbane on Monday.

"This time next March when the season kicks off I'll go: `this is not easy doing this'."

Bennett, who wrote the foreword for Lockyer's book, often uses the word humble to describe the playmaker.

"I'm on record many times dismissing the assertion that footballers or other elite sportsman and sportswomen are `role models' for our youth, because I strongly believe that responsibility lies with the parents and family" wrote Bennett.

"But there is an exception to every rule and Darren Lockyer is that exception."

Lockyer admitted he wasn't initially keen on the idea of a book about his life because he thought it would be "too boring".

"I probably wasn't overly excited about doing a book towards the end of the my career but I got convinced and I'm glad I did," he said.

"The book will be something my children will be able to read down the track as a reference to my career."

Koch recalled being overcome by nerves when Lockyer approached him.

"I actually didn't want to do it initially because I didn't want to be known as the guy who stuffed up Darren Lockyer's story," he said.

"Darren's a very private person but he opened up about a lot of things which I think people who read the book will appreciate."

Several chapters were written and re-written to make sure it came out the way Lockyer wanted it interpreted.

"The stuff about Petero (Civoniceva) leaving was tough, the stuff about Ivan (Henjak's) sacking, they were hard for Darren but he wanted to be as open and honest as he could be," Koch said.

"There's chapters where he's been quite critical of himself and his own failings and short comings."

Lockyer dedicates a lot of pages to growing up and becoming a husband and father to son Sunny and a special relationship with Samantha McCurley, a brave teenager battling cancer whom he first met during the 2003 State of Origin series through the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

"Outside of my family, I don't think any one person has had a bigger impact on my life and my outlook on it than Sam," he writes.

"Sam's been battling brain tumours and cancer since she was 15.

"She's been on the operation table 10 times to have tumours that keep coming back removed.

"She's a brave girl. She doesn't complain, she just wants to know how the Broncos are going and how I am.

"You draw a lot of inspiration from someone like Sam.

"We play a tough sport but those sort of people put things into perspective and Sam is one tough girl."

(Darren Lockyer with Dan Koch, published by Random House. On sale Wednesday RRP: $49.99)

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