Dylan Lucas on his miracle comeback and how he became an NRL star

Star Newcastle forward Dylan Lucas has paid tribute to his late coach Scott Dureau for helping to kickstart his career after he was unwanted at the Dragons.

Lucas made a shock return in last weekend’s elimination final win over the Warriors in Auckland, from what was initially thought to be a season-ending fractured and dislocated ankle suffered in round 21 against the Roosters.

It caps a stunning season for Lucas, who will play in his side’s preliminary final against Penrith on Sunday. The 26-year-old also made his Origin debut for NSW this year. However, his footballing prospects weren’t always so bright.

The Albion Park Eagles junior came through the Illawarra Steelers system, but as a five-eighth he wasn’t deemed a Dragons NRL prospect.

“When I was down there at the Steelers, they just weren’t that keen on me,” Lucas said.

Undeterred, he shifted to Newcastle to chase his dream, where Dureau was one of his first coaches. Dureau was a former Knight, filling the famous No.7 jersey after the retirement of Andrew Johns.

When his playing career finished - he made 42 first-grade appearances for Newcastle and 97 for the Catalans Dragons in the Super League - Dureau returned to the Hunter in coaching/development roles.

For 13 years, Dureau struggled with cancer, succumbing in July at the age of 39. A respected member of the Newcastle community, Dureau first crossed paths with Lucas at Jersey Flegg level.

“Scotty was one of my first coaches when I got here in the under-20s,” Lucas said.

“He had an impact on my time here, and then he was with the full-time squad when I first started training full-time as well. Scotty was a great man, and he had a fair bit to do with me when I first got here. Then I had a year at South Newcastle as well, which was a club that he was involved with.”

Lucas began his career as a five-eighth, but Dureau felt his physique and skill-set would be better served elsewhere.

“He sort of said ‘You’ve got a pretty good running game, I wouldn’t mind seeing you play in the centres’,” said Lucas, who then transitioned into a back-rower.

“He gave me that opportunity and then everything sort of flowed on from there. I’m very grateful for the impact that Scotty had on my career.

“He’s probably right up there [with the biggest influence on my football]. He was here when I first got here, and I was just a young kid who took a chance coming up here. He had that belief in me and gave me my opportunity to give myself a chance. Scotty had a big impact on me.”