Lachlan Ilias will spend the rest of his life with a metal rod in his leg.
The Gold Coast Titans recruit says it is the best thing that could have happened to him.
Ilias will make his debut on the Glitter Strip on Saturday against Cronulla, stepping into halfback duties following a hamstring injury to Jayden Campbell.
It will give the former maligned Rabbitohs No.7 at least two weeks to prove he has the mettle to remain in the line-up, having endured a barrage of criticism during his time as a fledgling NRL talent in Sydney.
Tasked with taking the South Sydney reins from club legend Adam Reynolds, Ilias guided the cardinal and myrtle jersey to a preliminary final, only to experience a fall from grace across two seasons.
The then-rookie copped regular calls for his demotion throughout his 24 games in 2023, in which the Rabbitohs finished ninth. Two games into the following campaign, the critics were answered, and he was dropped.
It is a stark contrast to Ilias’ experience since arriving in Queensland, albeit with his tenure only two victorious trials old.
“I found out everyone’s on your side up here, so that’s a lot different from Sydney and what I’m used to,” Ilias told this masthead with a laugh.
“It’s been a really good change for me and my partner, we’ve been loving our time up here, and playing some good footy helps as well. It makes life a lot better.”
When that Rabbitohs axing eventuated, Ilias suffered a gruesome fractured leg in reserve grade after he was tackled while kicking, before eventually signing a deal with the St George-Illawarra Dragons.
“I never thought that I was not going to get back, it’s just hard when you’re down like that to see the positives. It was tough at times, but it’s never something I thought I couldn’t overcome,” Ilias said.
Lachlan Ilias pictured during Titans training.
“It was a long process, but if that didn’t happen I wouldn’t be here today. I’ve still got a metal rod in my leg, it’s going to be in me for life.
“It’s made me be on top of my rehab, stretching out my body even more, so it’s a bit of a blessing in disguise.”
At the Dragons, the calls to be dropped quickly became pleas for Ilias’ recall, having managed just seven games for the Red V – with Kyle Flanagan and Lyhkan King-Togia preferred – as they slumped to 15th.
That was despite an impressive New South Wales Cup campaign, in which he led the competition for line engagements (224), while scoring eight tries and producing 16 try assists and 16 linebreak assists from 20 outings for 13 wins and a draw.
Lachlan Ilias in a world of pain after breaking his leg.Credit: Getty
Ilias was adamant the seesawing narratives around his name did not faze him, opting to filter his social media to ensure nothing rugby league related crossed his path or affected his ability to guide this Titans outfit.
“I still have Instagram, but I just don’t read into stuff. I don’t follow the NRL or Channel Nine or anything like that, I just follow friends and family, and that’s pretty much it,” he said.
“I dealt with it pretty hard at the start, so I’m used to it now and like to think I can handle most things that happen off the field.
“I keep a pretty tight circle, so I listen to who I have to listen to, and then everything else is just external noise.”
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