'Zac could be an Origin winger': Hunt backs Lomax switch

Dragons captain Ben Hunt believes Zac Lomax could force his way into the NSW Origin team on the wing if Shane Flanagan’s decision to shift him from centre for the Charity Shield pays off.

Lomax, who has played fullback, wing, centre - and even front-row - in his 93 NRL appearances for St George Illawarra, is set to alternate positions with fullback Tyrell Sloan in the annual clash with South Sydney on Saturday night.

After being the subject of speculation and debate about his move from right to left centre 12 months ago under former coach Anthony Griffin, Lomax was reluctant to discuss the latest positional shift before he plays.

However, Hunt believes Lomax’s height, strength and skill make him ideally suited to the wing and said the switch could propel the 24-year-old into State of Origin calculations for the Blues.

“I honestly believe he's got all the attributes to be one of the best wingers in the comp,” Hunt told pan66.com.

“He's big, he's strong, he competes hard on everything, he's good under a high ball and he’s got a good backfield carry.

“He's got the makings to be a guy that can play Origin football on the wing, so I guess we'll just see how it pans out. I think it's up to the trials and what the coaches want to do.”

Flanagan has named Jack Bird and Moses Suli in the centres for his match in charge of the Dragons, with Sloan and Lomax expected to swap positions against the Rabbitohs.

It is the latest ploy by a coach to find the best way to utilise Lomax and while he has played a number of positions since making his debut from the bench in 2019, he remains one of the first players picked each week.

“There's definitely a spot for him in our 17,” Hunt said. “It's just figuring out what our best 17 is, and whether that’s with him on the wing, centre or fullback. That’s what the trials are going to iron out, I guess.”

Lomax said the debate about what position he was best suited had been ongoing since his NRL career began but he was happy to play wherever the Dragons needed him most.

“There's always so much speculation around the position role and that’s because we haven't won as many games as we would have liked, so that question probably gets tossed up a lot,” Lomax said.

“Positionally, I’m happy to play front-row and take Blake Lawrie’s spot, if that what's best for the team. He loves No.10 so I would wear No.10.”

While Lomax was obviously joking, he has actually spent some time in the front-row.

“In 2019, when I was coming off the bench, I got put in the front-row for a bit,” he said. “I actually stood there off the kick off, but fortunately I didn’t have to take the kick-off.”