Despite the obvious interest in him it's easy to see why Zac Lomax has preferred to do most of his talking on the field this season.
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Lomax is now the sole proud record holder of the most individual points in a game for St George Illawarra Dragons. after scoring 32 points in the joint venture's 56-14 hammering of Wests Tigers.
That performance at WIN Stadium last Friday night came just 48-hours after he scored a try on debut for NSW.
It's a credit Lomax has enjoyed perhaps his best NRL season in a year where he has also had to deflect more media attention brought on after the 24-year-old signed to join Parramatta on a four-year deal from next year.
Lomax has yet to explain publicly his reasons why he has decided to leave the Dragons, who he played his 100th NRL game for earlier this season.
He did however talk to the media following St George Illawarra's big win in Wollongong on Friday night.
Lomax opened up on a range of issues from his record-breaking performance for the Dragons to the "pinnacle" of representing NSW in the State of Origin series opener last Wednesday night.
"The week was outstanding," he said of being part of the NSW camp.
"To be a part of Origin's obviously the pinnacle. Everyone that plays NRL wants to play Origin. I guess the build up, it absolutely lives up to it and more.
"Origin's a different beast and I was just super grateful that I was a part of it. It's just so fast and obviously physical.
"A good Origin player always comes back and does his best for the team. That's why you get picked, it's because of your team-mates you're playing with week in week out, and I love my team-mates here at the Dragons.
"There was no doubt that I was going to come back and play for the boys, I was super pumped to get back here and play."
Lomax was also ecstatic to score a try on debut for NSW but disappointed the Blues lost the series opener in Sydney.
He added NSW's chances of victory weren't helped by the sending-off of Joseph Sua'ali'i after just eight minutes into the centre's debut game for the Blues.
"It was not ideal losing him so early," Lomax said.
"I haven't really looked at the incident but I support Joey. He is an absolute legend of a fella and one of my real good mates.
"It was a tough one ... but when it happens in the first five minutes in an Origin game ... to lose Joey Sua'ali'i who is obviously a gun, and a great defensive centre too, wasn't ideal, it threw a massive spanner in the works.
"I guess it was a funky sort of debut where it was something I definitely wasn't expecting to happen and have to do. I had big Selwyn Cobbo run straight over me too. It was hard enough defending him as is let alone defending him within that much space.
"We just look at that and look forward to game two."
Lomax added you could not fault NSW's efforts in having to play the majority of the game with one player less.
"You can't take away anything from our team in regards to effort. Twelve men from the get-go in Origin is far from ideal, we were scrambling," he said.
"For people to say there wasn't courage and a lot of heart that was shown with that. I thought the courage our team showed was unbelievable.
"You are trying to adapt but it's Origin. Obviously it was my first game but there's a million different things that are thrown at you. You got to adapt straight away because you are playing against the best players in the world.
"It's not ideal but we go again."
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.
