Lomax makes strong NSW case as Eels belt dismal Knights
Zac Lomax has intensified Laurie Daley's NSW selection headache by starring in Parramatta's 28-6 defeat of woeful Newcastle on return from injury.
There was little more Lomax could've done to hold off selection rivals Jacob Kiraz and Tom Trbojevic on Friday night, scoring twice and running for a game-high 259 metres in his only game before State of Origin teams are picked.
Parramatta's right winger showed no signs of the foot injury that had sidelined him since round five as the Eels produced their most emphatic win of the Jason Ryles era yet.
Dylan Brown set up the Eels' first try and sealed victory on a burst in the final 15 minutes, tormenting the Newcastle side who will make him the NRL's richest man next season.
Parra party 👋 #NRLKnightsEels pic.twitter.com/uZmb8Xtc7E
— NRL (@NRL) May 16, 2025
It's the Knights' immediate future of most pressing concern, though.
After two weeks of improvements, the Knights' league-worst attack regressed at McDonald Jones Stadium, benefiting little from Adam O'Brien's call to parachute Tyson Gamble into the halves.
The Knights were unable to score against the NRL's worst defensive side until the final five minutes and have now been held scoreless in eight of 20 halves this season.
Points flowed more easily for the Eels, whose five-eighth Brown put halfback Mitch Moses over with a cross-field kick after 10 minutes.
Lomax scored the Eels' second try after they shifted right on the back of a Junior Paulo offload and he was over again in the second half when the Eels regathered another Brown kick.
Lomax too STRONG! 💪 #NRLKnightsEels pic.twitter.com/FLZJiQ0aXw
— NRL (@NRL) May 16, 2025
Knight second-rower Kai Pearce-Paul went to the sin bin for pushing Moses over in the ruck and, in the Eels' next attacking set, Josh Addo-Carr flew down the right edge before finding Brown on his inside.
Right winger James Schiller scored a late consolation try for the Knights but it was much too late.
Knights centre Dane Gagai had a tough evening while becoming the 54th player to reach 300 games, dropping the ball twice in the first half.
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