"Do I look like I'm panicking?"
Anyone familiar with Dragons coach Anthony Griffin will know the answer to that question. Nobody does deadpan quite like 'Hook'.
The product of Rockhampton was at his laconic best fronting the media on Friday, calling it "the longest press conference I've ever done."
He was, though, uncharacteristically expansive for a bloke who would do well to turn his hand to Texas Hold'em when he's finished coaching.
That could be sooner rather than later if the reports are true, though he greeted those questions with the poker face we media types have become accustomed to.
If the whole Zac Lomax thing this week has illustrated anything, it's that his players have become somewhat accustomed to it as well; for better or worse.
Griffin confirmed reports that he's yet to explain his decision to drop Lomax to the man himself - something he's understandably filthy about.
People will have their opinions on it, no doubt. Wherever you land, it speaks to the whispers that have followed Griffin his entire coaching career; that his old school ways don't meld with the modern player; that players, particularly young ones, don't know where they stand with him.
Lomax would certainly suggest as much. He's not the first player to be dropped, not the first good player to be dropped either. If the reaction on social media is anything to go by, it was a popular decision.
It's when you look at the why of it, that it becomes a little murky. It's no secret Lomax had reservations about a shift to left centre.
He was well established on the right edge with Mikaele Ravalawa long before Moses Suli's arrival. They combined for 71 tries in four seasons as a duo.
Without the footy, the Dragons right edge conceded 28 tries last season. Only the Cowboys left edge conceded less (26), while the Lomax-Ravalawa sideline was the path to just 12 tries - the equal best with Penrith's.
Could he have done with putting the flick pass that too often sailed into touch away? Sure. Issuing that directive seems simpler than shifting him to the other side of the park.
Dropping Lomax is perhaps easier for a coach than admitting he got it wrong in making the shift in the first place. Some might say eight games is more than enough to adjust.
"I own a lot of that responsibility as coach, and Zac owns a lot of responsibility as a player," Griffin said when asked who was to blame for the failed shift.
There's truth to it, but the demotion seems harsh given those circumstances. That his goal-kicking struggles have seen him wear the blame among fans for four straight losses is even harsher.
Read more: Lomax axed as Dragons eye sharp turnaround
Griffin dismissed goal-kicking as a factor in his decision on Friday, but the fan pile on is symptomatic of something else.
Somewhere along the line, Lomax became the punching bag for Dragons fans, accused of arrogance or disinterest among other things.
In this columnists' experience, it's simply not reflective of the bloke, couldn't be further from the reality in fact.
Unlike some others, Lomax speaks with a genuine passion for the Red V and a desire to see the club enjoy success. His pain at not having it in recent times is real.
The emerging crop of youngsters aside, the only other seasoned player who exhibits that same outward passion for the club is Blake Lawrie.
Therein lies the issue. The Dragons recruitment in recent years has seen a cavalcade of players arrive with a desire to simply prolong or best remunerate their careers.
Passion for the Dragons jumper has become secondary, if it's even a factor at all. Suli inadvertently spoke to that when admitting he "didn't want to come."
What's driven fans nuts in recent seasons is how certain players could seemingly strip naked and run in the wrong direction, and still get picked the following week.
This column won't name them, but any Dragons fan will be able to run you through the list. Some players, typically of the younger variety, have routinely been more dispensable.
It was Tyrell Sloan last year, it's Lomax this year. You can throw Jacob Liddle - re-signed then dropped in the space of a fortnight - in that basket as well.
It's difficult for anyone, least of all we observers from the nosebleed seats, to make any sense of.
That's a coach's prerogative. It's not Griffin's job to inform fans of the how and why for every decision he makes; that's a recipe for disaster.
He owes an inquisitive media even less, but when a coach's own players are left guessing, it doesn't bode well for team harmony.
Credit where it's due, dropping Lomax isn't the only big call Griffin's made this week, with Ben Hunt to play dummy-half for at least some of Sunday's clash with the Tigers.
It's a drum this reporter has beaten relentlessly for the best part of a year. It's seen plenty of fans rejoice. Others claim Griffin's lost the plot.
"It wouldn't be the first time," he joked when told as much by reporters on Friday.
If the latest reshuffle doesn't bring a shift in fortunes, it may be the last.
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Mitch Jennings
Sports writer. Sport is my passion, rugby league my first love.
Sports writer. Sport is my passion, rugby league my first love.
