Lawson’s busted shoulder adds to Dragons’ heroic win
Scott Bailey |
Nathan Lawson played the final 15 minutes of St George Illawarra’s victory over Parramatta unable to lift his right arm, as the full extent of the Dragons’ gutsy win can be revealed.
In one of the bravest wins of any team this season, the Dragons finished Saturday night with no fit players on the bench as they held off an Eels comeback.
The club’s litany of injuries came as they saw a 26-4 halftime lead whittled away to a six-point margin with 20 minutes to go, before the Dragons held on late.
After losing Christian Tuipulotu in the warm up, Luciano Leilua hurt his quad, Toby Couchman his shoulder, Viliame Fifita his knee and Hamish Stewart suffered a concussion.
Damien Cook also admitted after fulltime he was battling an ankle injury, while Valentine Holmes dealt with a cork above his knee and did not take two late shots at goal.
Winger Corey Allan and prop Emre Gueler also spent time off to pass first-half HIAs, while there was a brief scare for Jaydn Su’A on his return from an ankle injury.
It can also be revealed Lawson left WIN Stadium with his right arm in a sling, unable to properly raise it in the closing stages of the game after being hurt in a tackle.
Lawson is set to go for scans on the injury to reveal the full damage, but admitted he would have likely come off had there been a replacement on the bench.
“I couldn’t really lift my arm at one point,” Lawson said.
“I was screaming at the trainer, I had to apologise after. There was nothing he could do.
“I was just saying ‘help me somehow’. I had Val (Holmes) inside me and he knew, so he helped me out and took a lot of extra carries.”
Lawson’s night summed up that of the Dragons’.
The winger was only told moments before kick off that he was set to play, after a shattered Tuipulotu suffered a fresh hamstring injury on his return in the warm up.
Less than five minutes after being informed that he was playing, Lawson scored his first NRL try in the Dragons’ opening set.
Another followed shortly after, before the former rugby sevens star became the target of repeated Eels’ attacking kicks in the second half.
He produced a key knock down of a Parramatta pass late while battling the shoulder injury, and is now one of several players in doubt to face Canberra next week.
“It’s a pinch-yourself moment (scoring the first try),” Lawson said.
“I was lost for words, and then you get the double, I couldn’t believe what was happening.
“I only found out two or three minutes before kick off.
“It was the last run of the warm up that (Tuipulotu hurt himself). He just looked at me, and I knew.
“It’s such a bad feeling for him, but at the same time I realised I had to flick the switch and get the job done.”
AAP
