Zac Lomax left the Dragons in search of a permanent centre role, but just three games into his stint with Parramatta, he has already put the team ahead of his ambitions.
The 25-year-old has been named at centre every week but has often drifted out wide in defence and while returning kicks. The reason? Well, the in-game adjustment has been made to accommodate 20-year-old Jordan Samrani, a natural centre who is still finding his feet in the NRL.
Rather than force the rookie into an unfamiliar position, Lomax has taken on the responsibility himself.
It’s a sacrifice for a player who left St. George Illawarra after a career-best season on the wing because he wanted to play centre full-time. But with the Eels winless after three rounds, Lomax’s focus is on stabilising the side, not his own role.
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‘I am willing to do whatever it takes to win’
Speaking to CODE Sports, Lomax explained the switch. “Obviously Jordie came in, and he is a centre. It was his first few games, and it worked easier for him to defend at centre,” he said.
“It worked that I would defend the wing and catch kicks really.”
The positional shuffle hasn’t gone unnoticed, with league great Cooper Cronk questioning whether it was the right move. But Lomax, who is already stepping up as a leader in the struggling side, is clear on his priorities.
“I just want to win – that’s all my focus is,” he said. “Sometimes it looks like I am doing a little extra work but my teammates expect it of me and I expect it of myself.
“I am willing to do whatever it takes to win, and a lot of players are in the same boat here.”
Lomax’s versatility was on full display in the Eels’ much-improved effort against the Bulldogs last weekend, where he racked up over 200 running metres. With Josh Addo-Carr returning from suspension, he may soon get an uninterrupted run at centre.
But if the team needs him elsewhere, he’s already proven he’ll step up without hesitation.