Shane Flanagan has talked up the chances of Zac Lomax playing Origin football this year after the 24-year-old played a starring role in St George Illawarra Dragons big win over the New Zealand Warriors on Friday night.
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Though the Dragons coach Flanagan would not confirm whether Lomax would remain as centre in his 101st NRL game when St George Illawarra play the Sydney Roosters on ANZAC Day.
This is despite the fact Lomax played a starring role in his 100th game for the club as the Dragons recorded a commanding 30-12 victory over the Warriors in Wollongong.
Flanagan labelled the performance as his team's most mature this season.
"It was our most complete performance, they went for 80 minutes. Obviously they're a good footy team, they had their moments and they got off to a good start but we just hung in there and stayed in the process.
"I was really pleased with the way we just stuck to our guns and stuck to our plan," he said
"It was probably the back end of that first half, there was a 20-minute period where we just stayed in the arm wrestle, completed our sets and kicked long and backed our chase, that was probably the turning point.
"That gave us confidence, as did Zac kicking the two-point field goal and we defended well.
"They're dangerous when they're attacking the try line but I thought we turned them away, our edges were good and we stayed with our systems and overall it was our best 80-minute performance."
Flanagan also praised the performance of Parramatta-bound Lomax, who had another great game, this time playing in his preferred right-centre position, contributing 14 points courtesy of a try, a two-point field goal and four goals.
"He's in good form without a doubt. We all knew he was a good player and he's playing well in our footy team. He's doing a good job," he said.
Lomax was only playing in the centres because of the unavailability of Jack Bird, who missed the game because of a head knock but is expected to be fit to face the Roosters on Thursday.
With Christian Tuipulotu enjoying a solid debut for the club on the wing, it will be interesting to see if Flanagan shuffles the backline again to accommodate the return of Bird.
Asked if he would stick with Lomax in the centres for the Roosters clash, Flanagan said he hadn't given it any thought yet.
"I haven't even thought about it to be honest. We'll worry about that on Monday, we will just enjoy tonight," he said.
The coach however did agree with his captain Ben Hunt that Lomax should be in the mix to represent NSW in this year's State Of Origin series.
"I think he needs to be discussed, let's be fair dinkum about it, he's a form winger, form centre, he's just in form," Flanagan said.
"In Origin, you need to have players like that and he comes up with big players at big moments, and I think in Origin, that's what you need.
"I think he's got the temperament too as well to play in Origin. So it would be a good winger or a good centre to keep him out."
Agron Latifi
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
