Blake Lawrie

[SnowDragon]

A few games on the field, maybe starting now. Huge chance to prove he is up for it.

I hate being without Frizz and JDB... but it gives the young guys a chance!

 

[possm]

Great news. Real good young front rower . Got first grade written all over him in the future .

So who are we letting go, is it Robson? If it was my decision it would be Latimore and Allgood to start with. I imagine we will get a good look at Kerr and Timm this week. If they want to keep Robson, I'd imagine they will need to give him first grade minutes soon.

 

[getsmarty]

"Throwback forward": The coffee invitation driving St George Illawarra's Blake Lawrie
Author
Brad Walter NRL.com Senior Reporter
Timestamp
Tue 19 Mar 2019, 06:01 AM

An off-season chat over coffee with James Graham has helped prepare rookie prop Blake Lawrie to stake his claim for cementing the Dragons No.13 jersey in the absence of representative forwards Tyson Frizell and Jack de Belin.

Lawrie, who is 22 but described by team-mate Tim Lafai as a "throwback forward" and having a "40-year-old body like he's been sat at the pub", is expected to start against South Sydney in Thursday night's match at Netstrata Jubliee Stadium after Frizell suffered a ruptured testicle.

With Korbin Sims suspended and de Belin stood down under the NRL’s "no fault stand down" policy while he defends a sexual assault charge in court, Lawrie has the backing of team-mates to step into the lock role and he revealed the influence of Graham on his rise.

Graham took Lawrie under his wing when he joined St George Illawarra last year and after the club's end-of-season awards presentation the English veteran invited him for a coffee.

"He told me that he wanted to have a conversation with me, just to talk about where I was at and what I needed to work on in the pre-season," Lawrie said.

Dragons forward Blake Lawrie. Dave Acree/NRL Photos
"It was just a one-on-one coffee conversation. He just asked me what I wanted to achieve, how I was going to achieve that and what sacrifices I was prepared to make.

"He has got a massive resume and is someone I look up to. He's an international player - probably one of the best front-rowers in the game. I am only 22 and he has got a few years on me so I have got to learn as much off him as I can.

"I was excited about what the outcome could be and hopefully I have done the work over the pre-season from the advice he has given me to become a regular first grader and help the team to get a result each and every week."

Team-mates joke about Lawrie not having a body that looks like it has been chiselled in the gym but Lafai warned opponents not to be fooled as he boasts skill as well as toughness.

"He is still young but he looks like he has got a 40-year-old body, like he's been sat at the pub," Lafai said.

"He is your throwback forward. The boys have been calling him George Rose's son.

"I don't know if that is good or not but don't be fooled by his body shape because he can ball-play, he runs hard and he has got that footwork so if 'Blocker' does get the start he deserves it.

"He brings a lot of enthusiasm and energy so the boys are right behind him. He is putting his hand up to fill in at fullback if he needs to."

After 16 NRL appearances since making his debut in 2017, Lawrie believes he is ready to become a regular member of the Dragons' star studded forward pack.


The Dapto Canaries junior, who averaged 146m with carries of the ball and 34 tackles per game in last year's NSW Cup, has represented NSW Under 20s and the Junior Kangaroos and is a member of Brad Fittler's Emerging Blues squad.

"I've gone to the coach and older players to ask what I can improve on, what I can learn and how I can lock down a top 17 spot," Lawrie said.

"Being in and out of first grade last year wasn't ideal.

"I learned a lot of Mitch Allgood last year in NSW Cup. He was a great reason I had the back end of the season that I did but I’m looking to lock down a top 17 spot this year and play every game. That's one of goals for the rest of the season."

After getting his chance in first grade during the Origin period, Lawrie played nine NRL matches last season, including the finals elimination of Brisbane and 13-12 golden point semi-final loss to Souths, after the loss of NSW prop Paul Vaughan through injury.

Lawrie played 40 minutes in last Saturday night's 24-12 loss to North Queensland and Vaughan described him as "the best young forward we have at the club".

"He is a great trainer, has a big engine and he is pretty tough front-rower as well," Vaughan said.

"He probably played the two best games I have seen him play in the finals last year. I think he has got a lot of confidence out of that.

"For a young bloke he has got such a good head on his shoulders, you are not going to second-guess him, you are not going to doubt his effort and all the little one per centers.

"I know we have lost a great player in Tyson but I think you gain someone like Blake who fights for every single thing on the football field, which is what you want."


https://www.dragons.com.au/news/201...on-driving-st-george-illawarras-blake-lawrie/

 

[Dragons4me]

I love how he plays. His quick tap and run almost resulted in a try. He's clearly not afraid of the hard yards. Great to see.

 

[possm]

I love how he plays. His quick tap and run almost resulted in a try. He's clearly not afraid of the hard yards. Great to see.

I would have rather he just gave the ball to Hunt or Norman who could have played a rehearsed play. Maybe we would have scored a try.

 

[BLM01]

I would have rather he just gave the ball to Hunt or Norman who could have played a rehearsed play. Maybe we would have scored a try.

Right.I get your point
He was a miniscule off scoring, great vision, caught em napping only to be ruled to be held up by great defence by Kahu (if it actually was) and that was as close as we got to going over the tryline with all our rehearsed plays except when the ref got in the road of our 11th hour try.
Least the kid did something outside the stupid structuired square of that game in attack and showed a low risk initiative that would of been a game changer.
We got a play the ball anyway and then it went to our halves who did nudder that set.

 

[Old Timer]

I would have rather he just gave the ball to Hunt or Norman who could have played a rehearsed play. Maybe we would have scored a try.

You are joking aren't you?
Rehearsed play LMFAO.

 

[BennyV]

Why are we trying to manufacture him into a lock though? Kids is an out and out prop, like Merrin. Can’t we just leave him there?

 

[hewi]

George Roses son, how good is that. I hope he becomes a cult figure like Georgie was.

 

[Dragonsamy]

Go Blake show what your made of

 

[possm]

You are joking aren't you?
Rehearsed play LMFAO.

Ask Mary, I'm sure he would tell you that he had a set plan for just such an occasion.

 

[GC Dragon]

So who are we letting go, is it Robson? If it was my decision it would be Latimore and Allgood to start with. I imagine we will get a good look at Kerr and Timm this week. If they want to keep Robson, I'd imagine they will need to give him first grade minutes soon.

Two years ago I thought keeping Lawrie was the right thing to do and I still do . As for Robson if Mary is given a extension McInnes will be the captain next year and Hunt will still be the back up .
Mary loves a back on the bench so the only thing that will change is Dufty to One and maybe Field on the bench .
The club doesn't seem to have any plans re Robson now or in the future .

 

[getsmarty]

St George Illawarra's Lawrie to fill void left by Frizell NRL absence

• Local Sport
  
  
  
  Fighting for more: Blake Lawrie is the leading contender to replace Tyson Frziell on Thursday nigh. Picture: NRL Imagery/Greg Porteous.
• 
  
• Emerging St George Illawarra forward Blake Lawrie has vowed he is ready to step into the Dragons starting lineup on Thursday night.
  
  With NSW and Australian star Tyson Frizell likely out for 4-6 weeks after undergoing testicle surgery on Saturday night, Lawrie is the leading contender to fill the number 13 jersey for the clash with South Sydney.
  
  He credits a conversation over coffee with James Graham at the conclusion of last season with helping prepare him for this moment.
  
  While not willing to go into too much detail about the contents of the chat, the 22-year-old said Graham let him know exactly what needed to be done over the pre-season if he was to become a permanent fixture in the Dragons lineup.
  
  "I went for a coffee with him at the end of last year," Lawrie said. "We had a personal conversation about where I'm at, he told me what I needed to work on in the preseason.
  
  "I was excited to have the chat with him, I was excited for what the outcome was. Hopefully I've done the work over the pre-season on the advice he's given me to be a regular first grader and help the team to get a result each and every week."
  
  A highly-touted Dapto junior, Lawrie has been forced to bide his time throughout the past two years, playing just 16 games for the Dragons since making his NRL debut in round 17 2017.
  
  While many young stars can get frustrated having to spend so much time in NSW Cup, Lawrie views that time as key to his development.
  
  "You could say I've had to be patient, but you could also say I had a couple of things to work on as an individual. I've gone back to NSW Cup over the last two seasons, sort of worked on my game and tried to improve my whole game.
  
  "I'm looking to lock down a top 17 spot for the rest of this year, play every game, that's one of my goals for the rest of the season."
  
  With the Dragons forward pack struck down by injury towards the back-end of last season, Lawrie was thrown into a key role in St George Illawarra's finals matches against the Broncos and Rabbitohs.
  
  His showing at Suncorp Stadium against Brisbane was particularly impressive, with Lawrie helping the Dragons pack run rampant over the Broncos.
  
  It was his performance in the two semi-finals, alongside his work on the training paddock, that has convinced his Dragons teammates he is capable of stepping up to the starting lineup, if given the chance by coach Paul McGregor.
  
  "Blake is probably the best young forward we have here in the club," Paul Vaughan said. "Coming through, he's played all the junior reps, Junior 'Roos, NSW, he's a great trainer, big engine and a pretty tough front rower.
  
  "He probably played the two best games I've seen him play in the finals last year, he had big shoes to fill and he stepped up and played really well.
  
  "I think he's got a lot of confidence out of that and he'll be relishing the opportunity to get a start or have a bigger workload and show everyone what he can do."

https://www.illawarramercury.com.au...ell-on-the-mend-after-painful-injury/?cs=3713