Blake Lawrie, a prop for the St George Illawarra Dragons, is set on wearing a representative jersey in 2024.
The Dragons finished at the bottom of the table in 2023, and many believe the club will face another difficult season despite the arrival of new head coach Shane Flanagan.
Despite the Dragons’ struggles, Lawrie was consistently one of the best for the Red V, appearing in 22 games and averaging 135 metres per game, in addition to over 30 tackles per game at a high efficiency. He also recorded ten offloads and 47 tackle busts.
While he wasn’t mentioned last year, some surprising selections of Stefano Utoikamanu and Tevita Pangai Junior by now-former coach Brad Fittler may have left Lawrie feeling confident about his chances.
Now, with new hard-nosed coach Michael Maguire at the helm, a player like Lawrie may fit the game plan even better, and he stated that, while playing finals with the struggling Dragons is a priority, he wants to be in the representative conversation as he enters what should be the peak of his career.
“I felt like I stepped up my game last year, and I want to do it again. “I want to be in the representative conversation,” he told Fox Sports.
“But first and foremost, I want to play finals footy for the Dragons, and we need to be consistent and win games.” That is exactly what we intend to do, and we are confident in it.
“Everyone who goes out to play for their club wants to reach their full potential and compete at the highest level possible. Obviously, there are higher levels than just the NRL. That is the State of Origin Arena and the Representative Arena.
Obviously, I have a lot of hard work and consistent play to do before I get there. But, first and foremost, my entire focus is on the Dragons and my teammates, as well as supporting one another, our staff, our coach, coaches, and performance staff.
“If we’re winning games and playing consistent footy, I believe that will take care of itself.”
Lawrie will again be a walk-on starter for the Dragons, who have few new additions, despite the fact that young talent is emerging from the junior ranks – the Couchman brothers, Toby and Ryan, lead the forwards.
They will not challenge forward pack leader Lawrie for a spot in 2024, but the 27-year-old will need to perform at his peak if the Dragons are to win games, which Lawrie admits is the only way he will be selected in the State of Origin arena.
“I have obviously set goals for myself, and I would love to participate in a representative conversation. But, at the same time, I’m not going to be the representative conversation if we finish last or second last again,” Lawrie stated.
“So, first and foremost, I need to play consistent football for the Dragons, win games, and then compete for the top four and top eight. Hopefully, it resolves the issue.”
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