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Boot camp to follow merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence
December 23, 2012
Daniel Lane - SMH
**POST EDITED BY ADMIN**
WESTS TIGERS centre Chris Lawrence had targeted next year as his season of atonement following a disappointing 2012.
The 24-year-old's campaign this year reflected the Wests Tigers' roller-coaster ride after they kicked the season off as premiership favourites but failed to make the top eight.
"I'm looking forward to it," Lawrence said of the Wests Tigers' season opener against Newcastle at Hunter Stadium on March 11.
''Not making the top eight was disappointing as a team but you need to look at each individual performance and, myself included, we just didn't perform how we should have.
"I put a lot of pressure on myself to be better. I was happy with the way I played in 2011 but sometimes [in 2012] circumstances through my fault, sometimes no one's fault, sometimes through different things, didn't allow it to pan out that way. I'm looking forward to the new season."
Lawrence, who has played six Tests for Australia, admitted that when he failed to fulfil his goal of representing the Blues in State of Origin he had to accept the reason why he was overlooked by the selectors.
"I wasn't playing good enough, it was as simple as that," he said. "It was my goal to play for NSW but the two guys they picked, Michael Jennings and Josh Morris, played great football.
"As much as I tried and worked hard to get there, I have to now find a way to play better. My attitude is I have to play better than the two best centres in NSW if I want a crack."
While Lawrence was loath to make excuses for the club's winter of discontent, he said the attrition rate among his team's halves - which resulted in makeshift combinations that included Origin hooker Robbie Farah and second-rower Liam Fulton among others playing alongside Benji Marshall - hurt them.
"What was frustrating for the outside backs, and it was no one's fault, was the constant changeover of the halves," he said.
"It was hard to get the combinations and timing right and I think that had a bit to do with our form. When you have a regular combination you get used to the play, you know the timing of his pass and how far to run on the ball, when to run onto it and where to be at the right time.
"When you go through the play day after day … Benji doing his stuff across the field and Timmy Moltzen going through and me running my line … it becomes second nature. If I see Benji running a play, I know exactly what line to run and when to be there so he can hit me either side, go himself or whatever. We all become a 'live' option and it's great because you know if you get the ball, you're a good chance of scoring."
Away from the field Lawrence, who is contracted to Wests until the end of 2015, had received widespread acclaim for his initiative to go to schools and corporations to explain the benefits of good health and nutrition in an easy-to-understand manner.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/wests-tigers/boot-camp-to-follow-merry-christmas-mr-lawrence-20121222-2bsf9.html#ixzz2FoJKDIqH
December 23, 2012
Daniel Lane - SMH
**POST EDITED BY ADMIN**
WESTS TIGERS centre Chris Lawrence had targeted next year as his season of atonement following a disappointing 2012.
The 24-year-old's campaign this year reflected the Wests Tigers' roller-coaster ride after they kicked the season off as premiership favourites but failed to make the top eight.
"I'm looking forward to it," Lawrence said of the Wests Tigers' season opener against Newcastle at Hunter Stadium on March 11.
''Not making the top eight was disappointing as a team but you need to look at each individual performance and, myself included, we just didn't perform how we should have.
"I put a lot of pressure on myself to be better. I was happy with the way I played in 2011 but sometimes [in 2012] circumstances through my fault, sometimes no one's fault, sometimes through different things, didn't allow it to pan out that way. I'm looking forward to the new season."
Lawrence, who has played six Tests for Australia, admitted that when he failed to fulfil his goal of representing the Blues in State of Origin he had to accept the reason why he was overlooked by the selectors.
"I wasn't playing good enough, it was as simple as that," he said. "It was my goal to play for NSW but the two guys they picked, Michael Jennings and Josh Morris, played great football.
"As much as I tried and worked hard to get there, I have to now find a way to play better. My attitude is I have to play better than the two best centres in NSW if I want a crack."
While Lawrence was loath to make excuses for the club's winter of discontent, he said the attrition rate among his team's halves - which resulted in makeshift combinations that included Origin hooker Robbie Farah and second-rower Liam Fulton among others playing alongside Benji Marshall - hurt them.
"What was frustrating for the outside backs, and it was no one's fault, was the constant changeover of the halves," he said.
"It was hard to get the combinations and timing right and I think that had a bit to do with our form. When you have a regular combination you get used to the play, you know the timing of his pass and how far to run on the ball, when to run onto it and where to be at the right time.
"When you go through the play day after day … Benji doing his stuff across the field and Timmy Moltzen going through and me running my line … it becomes second nature. If I see Benji running a play, I know exactly what line to run and when to be there so he can hit me either side, go himself or whatever. We all become a 'live' option and it's great because you know if you get the ball, you're a good chance of scoring."
Away from the field Lawrence, who is contracted to Wests until the end of 2015, had received widespread acclaim for his initiative to go to schools and corporations to explain the benefits of good health and nutrition in an easy-to-understand manner.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/wests-tigers/boot-camp-to-follow-merry-christmas-mr-lawrence-20121222-2bsf9.html#ixzz2FoJKDIqH
