Lawton, who made his club debut for Hull KR in the Betfred Challenge Cup last weekend, has made the bold claim that the northern English club trains harder than the NRL systems he has been in.
He played a substantial role for the Kingston Rovers in their vicious 104-0 victory over Lock Lane on the weekend, as they prepare to take on the Brisbane Broncos at MKM Stadium on February 19.
The crafty dummy half revealed to NRL.com that he has been blown away by the standards set by the entire club surrounding training, claiming everybody is competing for a top spot in the first-grade side.
“They train harder here", Lawton said.
“I'll swear that: they train hard here. That's what enticed me as well. I'd heard from (players) when they come over here, how hard they train and how physical as well.
“And when I came here, I was pretty impressed with how the boys went. It's top-notch. You can see why they've had so much success because what they do out there (on the training field) replicates on the field."
Lawton has spent time at four clubs over his NRL career, playing 115 NRL matches with the North Queensland Cowboys, Manly Sea Eagles, New Zealand Warriors, and the Gold Coast Titans.
The Murwillumbah-born athlete has headed over to England in a bid to challenge himself, step out of his comfort zone, and continue to develop into a strong leader in the Robins' side, and was taken aback by the competitiveness of the English outfit.
“I don't like sitting in one place the whole time. I like change. I try to chase opportunity," he added.
“Whoever gives you the next shot is where I want to be - especially at a club like this that competes on everything, that's hungry, that trains hard.
“It's too good to pass up and the success they've had in the 2025 season, I think it's silly not to take that opportunity.”
Hull KR will be in red-hot form when they host the Broncos, in what will be a hostile environment for the travelling Aussie side.
The Brisbane-based club will have to be at its best to come away with the World Club Challenge title, which is currently held by the Wigan Warriors from 2024.
The northern-English club will then travel to Las Vegas to take on the Leeds Rhinos, with Lawton getting his second chance to play at Allegiant Stadium.
Featuring in the inaugural fixture in 2024, he ran out onto American soil with the Sea Eagles, defeating the South Sydney Rabbitohs in a monumental game for the Rugby League code.
In a rare case for players, he will be looking to make it 2/2 victories in Sin City, a feat only a handful of people can say they achieved, including Daniel Atkinson and Damien Cook, who are set to be named for the Dragons in Round 1.
“It's a fun time, especially if you win. I went to the Grand Canyon, saw a hockey game, saw Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, went to the Sphere, did so many things," he told NRL.com.
"It was unbelievable and I think it's a good opportunity for people who haven't been before to experience a whole new lifestyle.
"Like, living over there for a week, 10 days, however long you go for … it's something you will never experience again in your life."
The dummy half has diversified his portfolio in recent years. At the Sea Eagles in 2021, we saw Lawton able to slip into the second row for his team and compete at a high level.
It's a quality of his game which we saw in his most recent outing against Lock Lane in the third Challenge Cup round.
