From The Illawarra Mercury
1st August 2001
<h2>Doust expects to pin Blacklock down [/B]</h2> <h3></h3> <h4>By PAUL SUTTOR </h4> St George Illawarra chief executive Peter Doust has reassured Dragons fans there will be no repeat of Nathan Blacklock's contract dramas. Blacklock has a clause in his contract where he will become a free agent if he plays Test football and Doust said the crowd-pleasing winger's contract was the only one of its kind within the club. ``I think the Blacklock thing was a case where when we signed a contract, which was a four-year contract, quite a long contract, we wanted to see him finish his career as a Dragon,'' he said. ``There's always a debate with manager and the club as to `what if the player does this or what if he does that' so both parties are safeguarded. ``We just said if he represents, and let's hope he does, then let's give him an opportunity (to renegotiate).'' Blacklock had previously stated he would consider a switch to rugby union following his controversial snub from the representative selectors. Doust said he expected to finalise the drama by the end of the week and lock Blacklock into the remaining three years of his original contract. The Dragons boss paid tribute to Blacklock's efforts with the joint-venture club over the past three years where the winger from Tingha has topped the try-scoring lists for three successive years, amassing 71 tries for St George Illawarra in just 73 games. ``He has put up this year another season of try-scoring feats that make him special,'' he said. ``You could say it was a fluke after one year and the second year was unusual, but after the third year you can't say anything but he is a special product.'' Blacklock has scored 22 tries from 21 games this year and is well clear of his nearest rivals, Bulldogs winger Hazem El Masri and Brisbane's Lote Tuqiri, who have notched up 16 touchdowns apiece. Only two other players in premiership history have topped the try-scoring tally in three consecutive seasons - South Sydney three-quarter Benny Wearing from 1927-29 and Gordon Wright, for Easts, from 1919-21. I guess it depends on which paper you read. Like I said, waiting for more news on this
