Player Karl Lawton

[mt.wellington]

Titans utility signed and two players upgraded
Richard Becht
Thu 1 Mar 2018, 03:09 PM


Gold Coast utility Karl Lawton has today been signed by the Vodafone Warriors while hooker Sam Cook and highly-promising fullback Hayze Perham have had their contracts upgraded ahead of the 2018 NRL season starting next week.

Vodafone Warriors general manager football Brian Smith said Cook and Perham had been rewarded for their performances in the preseason and the club’s NRL trials while the 22-year-old Lawton has been secured on a two-year deal.

Capable of playing in the outside backs, hooker and loose forward, Lawton has made 12 NRL appearances since his debut against the Vodafone Warriors in 2016, an occasion which ended in disappointment when he broke his leg.

He recovered to turn out 11 times for the Titans last season when he alternated between starting at hooker and being on the interchange bench.

“We’re thrilled to be able to secure Karl so quickly following Ata Hingano’s departure,” said Smith.

“While Karl’s versatility is valuable, he'll give us experience and add to our depth.”

Vodafone Warriors head coach Stephen Kearney welcomed Lawton’s arrival, the club’s 10th new signing for 2018 and the third to join the club from Gold Coast (alongside Lawton’s ex-Titans team-mates Agnatius Paasi and Leivaha Pulu).

“We really like what Karl has to offer and he’ll be a great addition to our squad,” he said.

“He lined up against us twice last season and we’ve also seen him in trials so we have a good understanding of his qualities.

KARL LAWTON

Date of Birth: November 29, 1995
Birthplace: Murwillumbah, NSW
Junior Club: Burleigh Bears (Qld)
Position: Standoff

Height: 185cm
Weight: 93kg

Previous Clubs: Gold Coast Titans (2016-2017)
Rep Honours: Queensland under-20s (2015)
NRL Debut: Gold Coast v Vodafone Warriors, Mount Smart Stadium, July 2, 2016 (Round 17)
NRL Career: 12 appearances, 2016-2017
NRL Points: 8 (2 tries)

 

[Gizzyfan]

Shame about Ata but he sees himself better off elsewhere. Lawton showed real promise and a lot will depend on how he comes back from injury, for me the club has done well in this signing.

 

[Sup42]

A six foot ball player that tackles in the middle and is fast....can play six, Nine, and second row....oh and the defensively challenging center.

Shit if that was a local Warrior Junior he'd be trumpeted as the next Sione Faumuina or Sonny Bill.

Let's not Kid ourselves, he has come here to play first grade and with that skill set he will be slotted in at 14 Utility Hooker Center Half Back....Back row.
.
I Imagine we won't keep him long and by his own design...(coming to possibly the worst reputation club in the NRL is about 1st grade time a fact already mentioned by other forum member e.g eudebrito ).

Apart from probably having better vision and better skill than our local young guns he matches them for speed Size and willingness to tackle, thats a solid claim of the fourteen spot we save for tomorrow's local talent who sit on our bench.

Most of the discussion so far has been about this bloke versus our incumbent spine players ( mainly due to Ata leaving).

I'm more excited by the fact that
He now places pressure on Kata, Beale and Ken.

At six foot with pace, sound defence, and Footy smarts this
Bloke could shore up our most suspect quadrant on the left.

Rather than Beale and Kata or Ken....you now have the more than acceptable option of No Kata....no Ken.

Then there is the not too inconsiderable options having this guy wih his ball playing and speed injected Into our tackle bot pack.

Good signing in other words.. coz no one at the Warriors could cover that plus half and hooker apart from Tohu Harris Harris.

 

[eudebrito]

A six foot ball player that tackles in the middle and is fast....can play six, Nine, and second row....oh and the defensively challenging center.

People LARF at Tohu Harris as a utility.....but I ask you....what If you had two Genuine Ball players to call on circa 2002 in your pack ?

Spells trouble for the opposition.

Mate, Feleti Mateo was the best passing forward going around, Elijah Taylor fancied himself as one, it didn’t do us any good.

He is way too small for the forwards we have too many centres as it is, ayshford, gelling, kata, pauga, beale, hiku and now Lawton is enough for 3 teams plus one spare.

If he’s not playing 6 or being a bench specialist (which is a career killer, no one wants to do that) all he’s doing is putting poor old Blake down the pecking order. They have sufficient depth to dump ken and kata to reserve grade tomorrow, but they won’t because someone has to cart it up.

 

[Sup42]

Mate, Feleti Mateo was the best passing forward going around, Elijah Taylor fancied himself as one, it didn’t do us any good.

He is way too small for the forwards we have too many centres as it is, ayshford, gelling, kata, pauga, beale, hiku and now Lawton is enough for 3 teams plus one spare.

If he’s not playing 6 or being a bench specialist (which is a career killer, no one wants to do that) all he’s doing is putting poor old Blake down the pecking order. They have sufficient depth to dump ken and kata to reserve grade tomorrow, but they won’t because someone has to cart it up.

All good points but this guys tackling and speed put him in a different sphere to all those players.

 

[WellingtonOrca]

Titans fans don't rate him at hooker, say his distribution is too slow. Can't be any worse than Tevaga.

 

[fizurg]

If he’s so good why did the Titans release him? Affordable solid spine options don’t come around often and it’s not like they don’t have cap to spare.
Are people making more of this signing than they should?

 

[Gizzyfan]

Shall we give him a chance rather than shoot him before he even steps foot in the place.

 

[Blain]

If he’s so good why did the Titans release him? Affordable solid spine options don’t come around often and it’s not like they don’t have cap to spare.
Are people making more of this signing than they should?

They have Mitch Rein on the bench as a back up, not too bad if you ask me. They also had another dude impress for them last season, can't recall his name. He was on a 3 year deal, so must have thought they are better to use it elsewhere. Similar reason for Hingano to leave I guess, not a real chance to break the side, can't keep players who want to go.

 

[razzrillinger]

Welcome to the club Karl Lawton, good luck to you!

Titans have a bit of depth in the halves/hooker positions : AJ Brimson, Ash Taylor, Kane Elgey, Mitch Rein, Nathan Peats , even Bryce Cartwright...plus others I'm not privy to no doubt.

 

[Winston...]

Welcome to the club Karl Lawton, good luck to you!

Titans have a bit of depth in the halves/hooker positions : AJ Brimson, Ash Taylor, Kane Elgey, Mitch Rein, Nathan Peats , even Bryce Cartwright...plus others I'm not privy to no doubt.

You can throw Tyrone Peachy into the utility mix at the Tits now too.

 

[Sup42]

Only just realised Roach is out for a years spinal rehab minimum.

Ata gone.

I don't know if Lawton is any bloody good but I'm happy the guy was willing to come.

You can imagine the sales pitch already " we've lost a starting hooker and our 1st pick development half....we have guaranteed grade time if you think you can contest the claims ( which he will) of Sam Cook, Jazz, and Lino.

The Warriors are a realistic starter option for a forgotten Gold coast one time tomorrow's star.

 

[brightman]

At six foot with pace, sound defence, and Footy smarts this
Bloke could shore up our most suspect quadrant on the left.

You just about described one of my favorite Warriors, Phil Blake. If he could become that good off the back of the scrum I'd be ecstatic..

 

[Sup42]

You just designed one of my favorite Warriors, Phil Blake. If he could become that good off the back of the scrum itI be ecstatic..

Without getting excited with no 'Warrior evidence' of his worth ( been burnt there too often) he does have real speed....a good tackle....and a useful pass.

You can't take those core skills away from the bloke.....he's earned the right to be called a sound defender as a hooking utility.

His speed is a real thing.

His passing is a real thing.

Unlike Phil Blake and another super yet small utility forward in Brad Fittler....our signing has been injury damaged in a major way early in his development.....I can only imagine what he will do if he likes NZ and stays fit.

The only thing I can criticise him on as a Warrior is that he is not going to run over the top of anyone.

I also have no idea what his kicking game is like.


But yeah....on paper.....that useless bloody paper....he's better than what we have/Had locally and that is a hard pill for many to make an adjustment too.

Can't see him coming here for a holiday aye....he's from the farken top holiday destination is Aus.

 

[Sup42]

Titans utility signed and two players upgraded
Richard Becht
Thu 1 Mar 2018, 03:09 PM
View attachment 24406

Gold Coast utility Karl Lawton has today been signed by the Vodafone Warriors while hooker Sam Cook and highly-promising fullback Hayze Perham have had their contracts upgraded ahead of the 2018 NRL season starting next week.

Vodafone Warriors general manager football Brian Smith said Cook and Perham had been rewarded for their performances in the preseason and the club’s NRL trials while the 22-year-old Lawton has been secured on a two-year deal.

Capable of playing in the outside backs, hooker and loose forward, Lawton has made 12 NRL appearances since his debut against the Vodafone Warriors in 2016, an occasion which ended in disappointment when he broke his leg.

He recovered to turn out 11 times for the Titans last season when he alternated between starting at hooker and being on the interchange bench.

“We’re thrilled to be able to secure Karl so quickly following Ata Hingano’s departure,” said Smith.

“While Karl’s versatility is valuable, he'll give us experience and add to our depth.”

Vodafone Warriors head coach Stephen Kearney welcomed Lawton’s arrival, the club’s 10th new signing for 2018 and the third to join the club from Gold Coast (alongside Lawton’s ex-Titans team-mates Agnatius Paasi and Leivaha Pulu).

“We really like what Karl has to offer and he’ll be a great addition to our squad,” he said.

“He lined up against us twice last season and we’ve also seen him in trials so we have a good understanding of his qualities.

KARL LAWTON

Date of Birth: November 29, 1995
Birthplace: Murwillumbah, NSW
Junior Club: Burleigh Bears (Qld)
Position: Standoff

Height: 185cm
Weight: 93kg

Previous Clubs: Gold Coast Titans (2016-2017)
Rep Honours: Queensland under-20s (2015)
NRL Debut: Gold Coast v Vodafone Warriors, Mount Smart Stadium, July 2, 2016 (Round 17)
NRL Career: 12 appearances, 2016-2017
NRL Points: 8 (2 tries)

You gotta laugh at Kearneys use of the royal we ' we really like what Karl has to offer".

We means Brian Smith (who's son Rohan worked for us then the Tits) likes what Lawton has to offer.
( that's why Smith Snr is here....son Rohan knows exactly what the Warriors are about).

Rohan Smith took Paasi with him to the Titans.

Little wonder now that Dad is boss here that we are plundering the Titans roster.

To be fair our record of good signings from the Tits predates the Smith's.....Nathan Freind....an ageing hooker, played bravely for us.

This guy is an anomaly by comparison in that he is in the prime of his youth with a handful of useful NRL games up his sleeve.



You can't call him a retirement seeker.

You can't call him a absolute no name ( most of us remember him shredding our side apart).

You can't call him a player signed for extras.

He's a player hunting 1st grade hours with the rudimentary skills in his tool box to rattle the cage of our top 17.

Good gamble aye....even if he flops....from a recruitment POV he is well worth the risk....and I hope we find more of these.

Kearney is red hot on him making the bench ( source radio NZ talk back thirty second ago " he is really important...stutter....down grade comment to good.....prolly for the players in house).

 

[playdaball]

We've picked up 3 ex Titans players and two of those were not regularly in the top 17 .... we're not talking about the Roosters, Cowboys or Storm.

 

[Sup42]

We've picked up 3 ex Titans players and two of those were not regularly in the top 17 .... we're not talking about the Roosters, Cowboys or Storm.

Top four sides.

Would you ever leave a top Four side in favor of a cellar dweller ?

Gotta be real. The best of the bottom is where the Warriors need play Chess.

 

[Fenderboy]

Hope the missus is also making the move over here. Both of them will be welcomed along with Karl

 

[Off The Bench]

He looks focused.

 

[Hadyn]

He looks focused.

Yes......on her really nice tits,can't blame him,he 's only human.