Dragons rookie Hayden Buchanan says he owes skipper Clint Gutherson more than a beer for helping him score a debut try that he’ll never forget on a day the young centre became the latest product from the Gerringong Lions to make it in the NRL.
The Group 7 club has produced famous names like Mick Cronin, Rod Wishart, the Sims siblings and Reuben Garrick, with the south coast town adding a few more in 2025 at the Dragons.
Hamish Stewart and Dylan Egan have burst onto the scene in the forwards, while Buchanan looks to be a long-term NRL prospect after he showed off the kind of form that earnt him a place in the NSW under-19 side earlier in the year.
Buchanan credits coaches like Scott Stewart and John Ford, as well as veteran players like Nathan Ford and Rixon Russell, for helping nurture local talent from a young age.
“Something weird is going on down there,” he said after he made his debut in Saturday’s win over the Sharks.
“I think it’s people like Scotty Stewart, Johnny Ford and Mick Cronin. From a young age, they instil a certain level of discipline and toughness and a competitive nature that follows through.
“Leaders like Nathan Ford and Rixon Russell who are still playing first grade – they’ve won seven first-grade comps down there – so people like them have helped bring Hamish, Dylan, myself and Ashton (Rabbitohs playmaker Ashton Ward) through.
“They are why we are who we are.”
The Lions had a game on at the same time, so a few of Buchanan’s closest mates weren’t able to get to Kogarah to watch him play, but he still needed 50 tickets for friends and family who braved the rain and were duly rewarded.
Buchanan was a late inclusion for the injured Mat Feagai and scored a crucial try four minutes before half-time when Gutherson unselfishly passed him the ball when he could have easily reached the line.
“I owe him a lot more than that,” Buchanan smiled when asked if he owed his fullback a beer.
“He put it on a platter for me and that was special. I saw him look at me and throw the pass, and he said to me straight away ‘I’ve got you, mate’. It was a priceless moment.
“I had no idea (he was going to pass it to me). I just pushed up and hoped for the best.”
Buchanan returned the favour early in the second half when he threw a brilliant offload to his fullback to score, with the young centre praising co-captains Gutherson and Damien Cook for giving him the belief to take chances.
“People like Gutho give me the confidence to do that sort of stuff,” he said.
“One of his sayings is that you live and die by the sword, so people like him and ‘Cooky’ give you the confidence to think that if you make a mistake so what because at least you gave it a shot.”
You could hardly wipe the smile off his face in the sheds on Saturday evening, with Buchanan proud of the journey he’s had at the club he joined when he was 15.
The Gerringong connection was felt during the week when Garrick and Tyran Wishart messaged him good luck, while Buchanan was super proud to have joined Stewart and Egan as the latest Lions graduates to play first grade.
“I owe a lot of this to them,” he said.
“When I was 16 and didn’t have a licence, Dylan drove me to every single academy session.
“I owe both of them a lot.”
Originally published as ‘Something weird is going on down there’: Hayden Buchanan continues proud Gerringong tradition in NRL with try he’ll never forget