From 18th man to two try hero: Lawson's big night out for Dragons

Nathan Lawson began the day wondering whether to stick to his usual pre-match routine after being named 18th man and ended it by walking out of WIN Stadium with two tries and his arm in a brace.

Thrust into the St George Illawarra starting line-up just minutes before kick-off to mark NSW Origin winger Zac Lomax, Lawson scored his first NRL try in the opening set of the game and crossed for a second in the 14th minute.

However, the dual Olympian had to endure the last 15 minutes carrying a shoulder injury that left him unable to lift his right arm above his head as the Dragons hung on to a 26-20 lead before Val Holmes scored a runaway try to seal the win.

“I only found out probably two or three minutes before kick-off,” Lawson said of his call up after winger Christian Tuipulotu was ruled out with a hamstring injury.

“That was after the warm-up, so it was one of those ones where you don't think about it too much, which probably helps you in that sense.”

Team-mates only learned that Lawson would replace Tuipulotu on the left wing as he joined the huddle before kick-off.

“It was the last run of the warm-up and he [Tuipulotu] kind of looked at me. I knew from that look that he just wasn't confident, which is such a hard feeling and a bad feeling for him,” Lawson said.

“It's really sad and frustrating for him in that sense, but at the same time when you get that look and you realise you're playing, you've got to switch on and know you've got to get the job done.

“You only have a couple of minutes to kind of flick the switch and realise you're playing. The boys get around you and you just run out really.”

After joining the Dragons on a development contract before receiving an upgrade and extension for next season following his NRL debut in Round 13, Lawson admitted he struggled to adapt to the role of 18th man.

He even considered whether to stick to his usual pre-game routine after being the odd man out at training.

“I'm in the video [sessions] with the boys, so I know what's expected, but I didn't really have any reps through the week because obviously I was 18th man,” he said.

“I wasn't in the [NSW] Cup team either, so I was kind of in between teams, not really getting any reps with anyone.

“It was a weird week, but I honestly think mentally it's quite good because you don't have to stress about the game, you don't think too much about the game, but you’re still switched on.

“It would be easy to slack off. There was a thought this morning ... I was kind of like, I usually have Subway, but I was like, 'do I get it'. I actually ended up going with my partner and we got it, so I'm grateful that I stuck to my routine.”

With the match against the Eels sold out, Lawson scored his two tries in front of the packed WIN Stadium hill and despite having represented Australia in rugby sevens at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics, he said it was a "pinch yourself moment".

“I’m lost for words really, I was just so happy to get out there, and then you get the double and I just couldn't believe what was happening." he said.

“It was special. It's something I won't forget and I’m just really happy and grateful to get the win.”

However, the win came at a cost, with forward Toby Couchman suffering a season-ending shoulder injury, second-rower Luciano Leilua (quad) being forced from the field just before halftime and Hamish Stewart failing a HIA.

Interchange prop Viliami Fifita also battled through a knee injury as the only interchange player left in St George Illawarra's bench rotation.

Lawson admitted he also probably wouldn’t have finished the match if the Dragons had any replacements after injuring his shoulder while being tackled about 15 minutes from fulltime.

“I couldn't really lift my arm at one point. I was screaming at the trainer, just help me somehow,” he said.

“It was good because I had Val next to me, and he's got a lot of experience so he kind of helped me out.

"He took a few extra carries for me, so we managed our way through it alright. I'm just really happy that we pulled through and got the win.”