Newcastle Knights star Dylan Lucas has revealed he left the St George Illawarra Dragons because the club didn't rate him.
Now a NSW Blues debutant who is preparing to play a preliminary final this weekend, Lucas has become one of the game's best second-rowers.
Signed long-term to the Knights, he revealed that as he came through the Dragons pathways, he was forced to look for a way out at the age of 19 because the Dragons didn't rate him.
"They just weren't that keen on me hey," Lucas said on SEN Radio.
"I just came up here to Newy for an opportunity when I was 19 and haven't looked back since.
"To be honest with you, I don't think they rated me."
While the Dragons now sit on a goldmine of junior talent who have been locked up long-term, particularly in the forwards, the joint-venture have come under plenty of scrutiny over the years for their retention efforts - or lack thereof.
Lucas is just one of a host of players on a list headlined by the likes of Reece Robson and Reuben Garrick who emerged at the Dragons before being forced to change clubs in search of opportunities further afield.
Lucas admitted that he carries motivation playing the Dragons to prove the club wrong.
"A little bit of both. It's always nice to have a point to prove, and that's sort of how I always try to play my footy," Lucas said on air.
"It's always nice to come up against them and sort of rub it in a little bit to be honest."
Lucas has made a miracle comeback from a horrific ankle injury sustained just eight weeks ago, having played from the bench in the semi-final against the Warriors last weekend.
His last game before that was Round 21 against the Roosters.
In 17 games this year, Lucas has 10 tries, 9 line breaks, 4 offloads and 116 metres per game while, for a second-rower, he is tackling at a remarkably high 96.4 per cent.
The Knights clash with the Panthers in Sydney this weekend for a spot in the grand final.
