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He might not want to play on the wing, but the form of Zac Lomax across the opening six rounds of the NRL season has catapulted him into State of Origin contention.
The 24-year-old has been brilliant for the Dragons to start the year, crossing for five tries while averaging 187 run metres and five tackle breaks per game in his new role.
Lomax was shifted from the centres to the wing by new coach Shane Flanagan, with the decision ultimately leading to the Temora product requesting a release from the club.
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He will join the Eels on a four-year deal in 2025 and despite his desire to leave the Red V, it hasn’t shown in Lomax’s performances and it’s put him in line for a NSW debut under new head coach Michael Maguire.
Speaking on Nine’s 100% Footy, league great Paul Gallen pushed for the selection of Lomax for the Blues and expressed his disbelief at the situation at the Saints.
“I can’t understand why people keep saying he’s a centre,” Gallen said.
“He has played centre his whole career and we have never considered him to be an Origin player, he’s never been in the conversation.
“He is playing so well at the moment and he would be my Origin winger today – when he played centre, he was never considered to be that type of player.
“Why doesn’t he want to play on the wing? I don’t get it … he’s gonna be the NSW winger, he is going that good.”
Lomax has always been branded as a potential representative star from his teenage days, which saw him branded as ‘the gifted one’ by former Blues coach, Brad Fittler.
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And while Gallen claimed the Dragons star was never in the mix for Origin in recent years, Phil Gould revealed that Fittler had been urged to consider him multiple times.
“I can remember on three or four occasions leading into Origin series and saying to Brad Fittler, don’t be afraid to pick Campbell Graham or Zac Lomax,” he said.
“They don’t listen to me – but if it got down to a point [where they needed to], I’m seeing Origin in those types of players.”
Lomax represented the Blues in under-age fixtures growing up, but his time at St George Illawarra has been mixed and seen him shuffled around numerous positions by former coaches Paul McGregor and Anthony Griffin, as well as Flanagan this year.
However, according to Storm legend Billy Slater, the frustrations growing for Lomax haven’t impacted his on-field efforts, including a stellar display against the Tigers.
“He was the best player on the field … I thought he was tremendous, he’s had a great season so far,” he said on Wide World Of Sports’ Billy Slater Podcast.
“To play at this level and with this much quality in his game, with all the noise around him, it just shows you the mental toughness of the lad. I actually ran into Zac in the carpark going into the game and was extremely relaxed.
“He is a really good person from my dealings with him and obviously it would be a weight lifted off his shoulders that the speculation is done now and he’s going to Parramatta.
“The way that he’s playing, I don’t see any performance dip – he is playing wonderful.”
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