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Ben Hunt has revealed Zac Lomax remains to be hoping to go away St George Illawarra regardless of the membership transferring to bar the winger from negotiating with NRL rivals.
Hunt, who had his personal launch request blocked final season, praised Lomax for persevering by means of the frustration of his positional swap to cement himself because the membership’s finest participant by means of two rounds.
St George Illawarra Dragons
2024 outcomes
Rd 1: Titans 4 Dragons 28 (Robina)Rd 2: Dolphins 38 Dragons 0 (Redcliffe)
New coach Shane Flanagan moved Lomax to proper wing within the preseason to permit Jack Fowl to return to the centres reverse Moses Suli.
The extremely touted Lomax, primarily a centre by means of 95 first-grade video games, has been dissatisfied by the transfer to the wing and was linked with a switch to Parramatta amid the deadlock.
However the Dragons made it clear no launch could be entertained for Lomax, who’s on a big-money contract on the three way partnership by means of to 2026.
Hunt discovered himself in the same state of affairs final season when he hoped to safe a launch from the ultimate two-and-a-half years of his contract after the Dragons sacked coach and shut confidant Anthony Griffin.
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The Saints ultimately talked their captain down, however he has been fast to examine in on Lomax.
“Zac and I, we discuss a bit,” Hunt stated.
“I am conscious that he does wish to go away however he isn’t displaying that he is sad and he looks as if he is having fun with himself.
“Each time he desires recommendation, he is aware of that I am all the time completely happy to present it. He is very open, Zac, and he’ll all the time ask for one thing if he wants it.”
Hunt was fast to level out that Lomax had been in wonderful contact on the proper wing for the Dragons by means of the opening two weekends of the season.
He ran for a game-high 265 metres within the 28-4 win over Gold Coast, scoring a strive, and was once more his facet’s high metre-eater within the hefty 38-0 loss to the Dolphins on Sunday.
“He is been our greatest participant the final two weeks, to be trustworthy,” Hunt stated.
“I am unable to fault both of his video games. He positively wasn’t the rationale we misplaced (in opposition to the Dolphins).
“Whether or not he likes the place or not, he is doing a bloody good job of it.”
Hunt even recommended the brand new place might be Lomax’s probability to lastly make good on his potential as a NSW State of Origin prospect.
Lomax has lengthy been rated a future Origin participant with new Blues coach Michael Maguire reportedly contacting him this week.
“He is positively the kind of participant that I reckon ‘Madge’ would really like,” Hunt stated.
“Madge is absolutely well-known for his onerous work and (liking) gamers that all the time give 100 per cent effort, and that is what Zac is.
“It might be foolish if Madge wasn’t taking a look at him.”
Hunt admitted the most recent loss to the Dolphins had raised previous considerations concerning the route wherein the Dragons are heading.
However the 33-year-old, who pushed for a mid-season transfer dwelling to Queensland final yr, was agency on staying put because the membership navigated the begin to Flanagan’s tenure.
“(Doubts) all the time pop up at the back of your head each time you have got a loss, it doesn’t matter what it is like,” he stated.
“It all the time tries to creep in. However I am staying constructive.
“I am right here on the Dragons. I’ve put my head down within the pre-season, I’ve tried to remain onerous and get us again on observe.
“I felt like we have been doing that, we had a giant hiccup on the weekend however my focus is on getting us again into the finals.”
AAP
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