St George Illawarra land Sevens flyer Nathan Lawson in fresh blow on rugby union

The NRL has landed another blow on rugby union, with St George Illawarra the latest to land a cross-code star ready to make the switch.

Nathan Lawson has signed with the NRL’s St George Illawarra. Picture: Getty

Australian rugby has lost another star to the NRL, with men’s Sevens player of the year Nathan Lawson switching to St George Illawarra Dragons on a two-year deal.

Just 10 days ago Lawson was honoured at the John Eales Medal awards dinner as the top male Sevens player in the country, but now he’ll compete for a backline spot at the Dragons alongside Valentine Holmes and Clint Gutherson.

It’s understood the Dragons have signed Lawson with a view to playing him as a winger.

The 25-year-old is a two-time Olympian at Paris and Tokyo, and this will be a major gamble given he’s spent his life playing union, including in the Shute Shield with Southern Districts.

Lawson joins Mark Nawaqanitawase (Roosters) and Carter Gordon (Gold Coast) as union stars who have switched to league in the past year.

Nathan Lawson is the latest start to make the switch from rugby union to the NRL. Picture: Getty

The news comes after former NRL star Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii starred in his Wallabies debut last weekend against England at Twickenham.

The men’s Sevens program faced uncertainty after the Olympics when coach John Manenti quit the role to take up an opportunity in US rugby, but it was announced last week that Kiwi Liam Barry was taking over.

“I’m very excited to take the team into the next cycle off the back of what they’ve done at the Paris Olympics,” Barry said.

“It’s a great base to start from and it’s a credit to John and the management with what they’ve done in the last cycle.

“I’m not looking to reinvent the wheel but rather build on what is already there. The players are fit, fast and skilful and I’m looking forward to working with them.”

Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii was magnificent on debut for the Wallabies. Picture: Getty

Rugby Australia’s director of high performance Peter Horne said of Barry: “Liam’s proven track record in winning environments, combined with his passion for developing young talent perfectly aligns with the direction we are taking.

“Our men’s Sevens side had their best-ever finish at an Olympic Games in August and are consistently one of the teams to beat on the global stage.

“We believe Liam is the ideal person to build a strong connection and successful playing group in the future.”