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EAGLE EYE LAWRENCE WATCHES EVERY MOVE
By Wayne Cousins
21/10/2010 12:06:02 PM
Like an eagle sitting over his prey, Chris Lawrence is watching every move his Kangaroos team-mates make.
Lawrence is enjoying his first week in Kangaroos camp after being chosen in the final Australian squad for the Four Nations tournament.
The specialist left centre joins Wests Tigers team-mates Robbie Farah and Lote Tuqiri in the Kangaroos squad. Tuqiri will be the club’s only representative against Papua New Guinea at Parramatta Stadium this Sunday under the guidance of Australian and Wests Tigers Coach Tim Sheens.
Like the rest of the fringe players, Lawrence would love to pull on the green and gold jersey after twice playing for the PM XIII’s team.
If he doesn’t get a start, Lawrence will see the experience as invaluable.
“To get a game would be good but to just be able to train with these players and learn from them will help make me a better player next year,’’ Lawrence said.
“Just by being in camp, you notice different things that different players do. You see what their strengths are on the training field. I just keep my eyes open and look at everything to try and open up my game.
“I look at a guy like Darren Lockyer. He is the ultimate professional.
"Watching him train, he is so good at what he does and he could probably play for another five years if he wanted to.”
A broken jaw in the lead up the finals threatened to de-rail Lawrence’s season but he showed plenty of courage to return in the semi-final win over Canberra.
At just 22, Lawrence is a very mature young man who is about to head into his sixth season with the Wests Tigers in 2011.
For Lawrence, it doesn’t feel that long ago since the kid from St Gregorys College Campbelltown burst onto the league scene with a sizzling NRL debut against the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium in June 2006.
“It has gone quick in a way and it also has gone slow,’’ Lawrence recalls.
“It has gone fast in the sense that I can’t believe I have been here almost six years. Then again, I can’t remember anything else but being at Wests Tigers.
“It has been good and I am just glad to have finally made it into a senior rep squad.
“‘I’m already looking forward to next season. I want to hit the ground running from round one.
“I started this year off pretty slowly as I didn’t have the best pre-season due to injury. It took me a while to get over a couple of injuries I was carrying.
“Towards the middle of the year and heading into the back end of the season, I was pretty happy with the footy I was playing and then I did my jaw.
“When I came back, my jaw was still a bit patchy. I was disappointed about my form but I was just very happy to be back on the field.
“Once I finish with the Kangaroos, I plan to enjoy a good break before getting stuck back in to training.
“That’s what you have to do if you want to get picked in the representative sides. You can’t afford to start the year slow.”
By Wayne Cousins
21/10/2010 12:06:02 PM
Like an eagle sitting over his prey, Chris Lawrence is watching every move his Kangaroos team-mates make.
Lawrence is enjoying his first week in Kangaroos camp after being chosen in the final Australian squad for the Four Nations tournament.
The specialist left centre joins Wests Tigers team-mates Robbie Farah and Lote Tuqiri in the Kangaroos squad. Tuqiri will be the club’s only representative against Papua New Guinea at Parramatta Stadium this Sunday under the guidance of Australian and Wests Tigers Coach Tim Sheens.
Like the rest of the fringe players, Lawrence would love to pull on the green and gold jersey after twice playing for the PM XIII’s team.
If he doesn’t get a start, Lawrence will see the experience as invaluable.
“To get a game would be good but to just be able to train with these players and learn from them will help make me a better player next year,’’ Lawrence said.
“Just by being in camp, you notice different things that different players do. You see what their strengths are on the training field. I just keep my eyes open and look at everything to try and open up my game.
“I look at a guy like Darren Lockyer. He is the ultimate professional.
"Watching him train, he is so good at what he does and he could probably play for another five years if he wanted to.”
A broken jaw in the lead up the finals threatened to de-rail Lawrence’s season but he showed plenty of courage to return in the semi-final win over Canberra.
At just 22, Lawrence is a very mature young man who is about to head into his sixth season with the Wests Tigers in 2011.
For Lawrence, it doesn’t feel that long ago since the kid from St Gregorys College Campbelltown burst onto the league scene with a sizzling NRL debut against the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium in June 2006.
“It has gone quick in a way and it also has gone slow,’’ Lawrence recalls.
“It has gone fast in the sense that I can’t believe I have been here almost six years. Then again, I can’t remember anything else but being at Wests Tigers.
“It has been good and I am just glad to have finally made it into a senior rep squad.
“‘I’m already looking forward to next season. I want to hit the ground running from round one.
“I started this year off pretty slowly as I didn’t have the best pre-season due to injury. It took me a while to get over a couple of injuries I was carrying.
“Towards the middle of the year and heading into the back end of the season, I was pretty happy with the footy I was playing and then I did my jaw.
“When I came back, my jaw was still a bit patchy. I was disappointed about my form but I was just very happy to be back on the field.
“Once I finish with the Kangaroos, I plan to enjoy a good break before getting stuck back in to training.
“That’s what you have to do if you want to get picked in the representative sides. You can’t afford to start the year slow.”