Lawrie has already impressed as a junior, and he is primed to take on a leadership role with the Dragons next season.

Key Highlights :

1. Trent Merrin thinks Blake Lawrie will make an ideal captain of the Dragons when Ben Hunt retires.

2. Lawrie, 26, earlier this year signed a three-year deal to keep him at the Dragons until the end of 2026.

3. Lawrie is a potential future captain of the club.

4. Lawrie is a leader of that calibre.

5. Griffin is handling the attendant media scrutiny well.

     St George Illawarra prop Blake Lawrie has the pedigree, leadership quality and love of the club to lead the Dragons, says 2010 premiership winner Trent Merrin.

     Lawrie, 24, is the son of Dragons great and three-time premiership winner, Steve Lawrie. He has played 152 NRL games for the Dragons since making his debut in 2009 and has been a regular member of the NSW State of Origin team.

     Merrin, who played for the Dragons from 2007-2010, said Lawrie had all the qualities required to be a successful Dragons captain.

     “Blake has all the qualities you need as a captain and he has been captain of the NSW under-20s and the NSW Country side,” Merrin said.

     “He is a leader on and off the field and he is someone the players will look up to. He is a quality player and he has the ability to bring the best out in his team-mates.

     “The Dragons have had a lot of changes over the past few seasons and Blake is the perfect person to lead the team into the future.”

     Lawrie said he was honoured to be considered for the Dragons captaincy.

     “I’m really excited about the opportunity to captain the Dragons and I’m looking forward to leading the team into the future,” he said.

     “I’ve been a part of the Dragons for a long time now and I’ve seen the club grow and develop. I’m confident we can continue to progress and achieve success.”

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