How St George Illawarra youngster Blake Lawrie stood up to Brisbane
UNHERALDED Dragons prop Blake Lawrie stood up to Brisbane’s young superstars and now he’s ready to do the same to Souths.
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AT this time of year it’s easy to complicate rugby league, but sometimes it just comes down to hitting and getting hit.
That’s how Blake Lawrie does it.
The 21-year old prop might only have 14 NRL games under his belt but he’s the toast of the Illawarra after his robust physical battle with Brisbane’s superstar forwards in the Dragons 48-18 victory.
“If you don’t come off the field battered and bruised after going after the other front rowers you’re not doing your job as a front-rower,” Lawrie told The Daily Telegraph.
“You’ve got to go after your opponent to try and spark the team somehow.
“Matt Lodge and Korbin Sims tried to come after me to try and spark their team. But I like that sort of stuff. They tried to make a challenge.
“It’s all a part of footy. I was probably in the right place at the wrong time and they came after me.
“It’s nothing personal, it’s just footy at the end of the day and that’s why we love this game.
“We had a chat after the game and it was all sweet.”
With James Graham and Jack de Belin succumbing to injury and Paul Vaughan already sidelined, Lawrie, Jeremy Latimore and Leeson Ah Mau were called upon to play greater minutes and they all responded to the challenge, helping deliver the Dragons to a sudden death semi-final clash with South Sydney.
“Losing Jammer early and we’ve already lost Paul Vaughan, it hurt us a little bit. He’s the inspiration for our team and it put us on the back foot,” Lawrie said.
“But Frizz showed why he’s an international, he really came out and stood up I thought, and Simsy had one of the best games he’s ever had.”
Lawrie’s mates call him Blocka and have done since he was playing Under 7’s and that tells you just about everything you need to know about how the barrel-chested youngster plays the game.
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A childhood Dragons fan, the Dapto junior is flying the flag for the Steelers side of the joint venture and must be the toast of the coast after his best game in first grade.
“I grew up in Dapto, playing for Dapto Canaries. I played Harold Matts and SG Ball for Steelers,” Lawrie said.
“I love it down here, it’s a great place to live. It’s pretty much all I know.
“My old man’s a Sharks supporter and there’s the massive rivalry, but my pop’s always been a Dragons supporter so I took his side.”
De Belin and Graham are both expected to return for this weekend’s clash with the Rabbitohs and Lawrie can’t wait to lock horns with the pack he called the best in the competition.
Originally published as How St George Illawarra youngster Blake Lawrie stood up to Brisbane
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