Ben Hunt has revealed Zac Lomax remains to be hoping to depart St George Illawarra regardless of the membership shifting 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 greatest participant by means of two rounds.
New coach Shane Flanagan moved Lomax to proper wing within the preseason to permit Jack Hen 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 can 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 an identical scenario 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.
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 mentioned.
“I am conscious that he does need to go away however he is not displaying that he is sad and he looks like he is having fun with himself.
“Each time he desires recommendation, he is aware of that I am at all times glad to present it. He is very open, Zac, and he’ll at all times ask for one thing if he wants it.”
Hunt was fast to level out that Lomax had been in tremendous contact on the appropriate 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 aspect’s prime 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 mentioned.
“I am unable to fault both of his video games. He positively wasn’t the rationale we misplaced (towards the Dolphins).
“Whether or not he likes the place or not, he is doing a bloody good job of it.”
Hunt even prompt the brand new place could possibly be Lomax’s likelihood 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 love,” Hunt mentioned.
“Madge is de facto well-known for his laborious work and (liking) gamers that at all times give 100 per cent effort, and that is what Zac is.
“It would be foolish if Madge wasn’t taking a look at him.”
Hunt admitted the most recent loss to the Dolphins had raised outdated issues concerning the path by which the Dragons are heading.
However the 33-year-old, who pushed for a mid-season transfer house to Queensland final yr, was agency on staying put because the membership navigated the begin to Flanagan’s tenure.
“(Doubts) at all times pop up at the back of your head every time you could have a loss, it doesn’t matter what it is like,” he mentioned.
“It at all times tries to creep in. However I am staying optimistic.
“I am right here on the Dragons. I’ve put my head down within the pre-season, I’ve tried to remain laborious and get us again on observe.
“I felt like we had been doing that, we had an enormous hiccup on the weekend however my focus is on getting us again into the finals.”
AAP
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