With star centre Chris Lawrence declaring himself a certain starter for tonight’s elimination NRL final against the Warriors, Wests Tigers received a boost.
Lawrence, who hasn’t played since sustaining a hamstring injury during the Tigers’ round 22 win over St George Illawarra, mentioned he was close to participating in last Friday’s qualifying final against the Dragons but was ultimately scratched as a precaution.
While coach Tim Sheens confirmed that Lawrence would be part of the team announced on Tuesday, he was cautious about labeling the 22-year-old as a “sure thing.” However, Lawrence himself expressed no doubt about his availability.
“I’m playing no matter what,” he told reporters on Monday.
“I was pretty close last week; I worked really hard earlier in the week and put my body through a lot.
“Not just my hammy, my body was feeling pretty sore later in the week, and during our Thursday session, I had another run, but my body was feeling the effects of a tough early week. The medical staff thought that going into a game fatigued like that probably isn’t the best preparation, so they decided to give me another week to freshen up.”
Lawrence, who initially thought his season was over after dislocating his hip against Canberra in round three, described this year as difficult, filled with a series of injuries.
“Obviously when I first did my hip, I thought ‘that’s the season.’ My immediate thoughts were mostly to think about next year,” he explained.
“I’ve worked pretty hard to get myself back.
“… (It’s been) very frustrating. It feels like every time I overcome one issue, something else crops up as I approach the finish line.
“But I think that’s footy; you’ve got to accept the good with the bad, and hopefully, there will be some light at the end of the tunnel.
“We’re potentially only three games away from a grand final (win), which is the motivating factor for me at the moment.”
by Buford Balony
