Latest news with #Lomax
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
'We're a team within a team: Lomax lifts lid on selfless act that sealed victory in Origin I
Zac Lomax has opened up about the selfless act that went a long way to helping NSW win game one – and ensured he was voted man of the match by his Blues teammates. Brian To'o's sin-binning on the brink of half-time at Suncorp Stadium, for tackling Xavier Coates in the air, left NSW needing to survive the opening ten minutes of the second half defending with 12 men. Lomax had watched the Maroons send all their attacking kicks to Coates's side of the field, where the towering Maroons winger enjoyed a hefty height advantage over To'o, and knew they would continue to attack down that flank when the game restarted. As revealed by colleague Roy Masters the day after the 18-6 win at Suncorp Stadium, Lomax approached Laurie Daley during the interval and volunteered to switch from the right side of the field to defend on the left while To'o was in the bin. Lomax was confident the NSW right edge would cope, because Nathan Cleary, Liam Martin and Stephen Crichton 'had defended together forever' in clubland, and suggested he would be of better use switching over and helping out Latrell Mitchell try and stop Coates. The Maroons scored a try while To'o was in the bin, but it came from a Mitchell error rather than any luck attacking with the extra player. The foresight and maturity shown by Lomax was praised by Daley – and yet another example of how quickly the Parramatta recruit has adjusted to life in the representative arena within 12 months. As he joined his Blues teammates in camp in the Blue Mountains on Tuesday, Lomax opened up on the Origin I half-time conversations with the coaches.
The Age
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Age
'We're a team within a team: Lomax lifts lid on selfless act that sealed victory in Origin I
Zac Lomax has opened up about the selfless act that went a long way to helping NSW win game one – and ensured he was voted man of the match by his Blues teammates. Brian To'o's sin-binning on the brink of half-time at Suncorp Stadium, for tackling Xavier Coates in the air, left NSW needing to survive the opening ten minutes of the second half defending with 12 men. Lomax had watched the Maroons send all their attacking kicks to Coates's side of the field, where the towering Maroons winger enjoyed a hefty height advantage over To'o, and knew they would continue to attack down that flank when the game restarted. As revealed by colleague Roy Masters the day after the 18-6 win at Suncorp Stadium, Lomax approached Laurie Daley during the interval and volunteered to switch from the right side of the field to defend on the left while To'o was in the bin. Lomax was confident the NSW right edge would cope, because Nathan Cleary, Liam Martin and Stephen Crichton 'had defended together forever' in clubland, and suggested he would be of better use switching over and helping out Latrell Mitchell try and stop Coates. The Maroons scored a try while To'o was in the bin, but it came from a Mitchell error rather than any luck attacking with the extra player. The foresight and maturity shown by Lomax was praised by Daley – and yet another example of how quickly the Parramatta recruit has adjusted to life in the representative arena within 12 months. As he joined his Blues teammates in camp in the Blue Mountains on Tuesday, Lomax opened up on the Origin I half-time conversations with the coaches.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'Absolute joke': Controversy erupts over Payne Haas moment after State of Origin 1
NRL fans are questioning whether the man of the match honour went to the right player after Payne Haas received the accolade following NSW's victory in State of Origin 1. The Blues took a 1-0 lead in the series after an 18-6 victory at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night, marking the first time in 27 years the Maroons have lost back-to-back games at home. Haas was phenomenal in a NSW forward pack that dominated their Queensland counterparts, running for 156 metres with three tackle breaks, three offloads and 30 tackles. There's no denying Haas was a worthy winner of the player of the match gong, but fans couldn't help but feel Zac Lomax was robbed. The Parramatta winger scored two of the four tries, running for 209 metres from a staggering 25 carries. Lomax was a threat under the high ball all night, and also set up the match-sealing try to Dylan Edwards with a brilliant one-handed catch from a Nathan Cleary kick. He also saved a try when he cleaned up a grubber from Cameron Munster close to the line when the Maroons were threatening to mount a comeback while Brian To'o was in the sin-bin. While Haas was undeniably one of the Blues' best players, many fans were left crying foul that Lomax wasn't named man of the match. One person wrote on social media: "Lomax was robbed blind. Haas played a solid game but Lomax was the standout on the field from his first carry to his last. Absolute joke." Another commented: "As usual wingers are banned from man of matches. Lomax best on ground easily in my opinion." How Did lomax not get Man of the match — Mick bates (@Mickbates3) May 28, 2025 Zac Lomax should have been man of the match — Andy (@andy_BALTIGERS) May 28, 2025 Zac Lomax robbed 🥷 #Origin — Enggy (@enggybro) May 28, 2025 Haas MOM over Lomax is a joke. We'll take the win but gees bludger of a game overall #Origin — Dragons17 (@jmoz17) May 28, 2025 Considering the winner of the man of the match was the only point of contention for NSW, Laurie Daley and his side will be feeling pretty happy. Speaking after the match, Haas said the Blues still have a job to do to go on and win the series. "I'm just doing my job; I love this jersey so much. I love these boys and love playing for the people of NSW," he said. "I've just watched it (Origin) since I was a kid, just love this jersey . But I wouldn't say I'm at the top (of my game). I'm only 25, long way to go and still working." RELATED: Awkward claim about Bulldogs players amid Lachie Galvin signing Laurie Daley responds amid ugly allegation against NSW player Haas said he expects Maroons coach Billy Slater to respond in Perth, where the Blues can seal the series at a venue where they've dominated in the only two previous visits. "We know what Queensland do; they're going to bounce back," he said. "We'll have to prepare better and be better next game cause they're going to be up for it." Daley was in awe of Haas' performance on Wednesday night after a quad complaint limited his ability to take part in camp. "For a big bloke on limited prep; a 10-day prep with hardly any running," he said. "To jump out on the ground and do what he did, it's inspirational, actually." Blues captain Isaah Yeo also moved to play down the achievement of Wednesday night's victory. "We should get some confidence out of it, anytime you win in this arena," he said. "Another week in camp, I find the games are better and there's a bit more thrown at you in games two and three. But there's areas in our game that we can get better at You don't want to play the perfect footy and have nothing to fall back on. It's a long way to go."
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
NSW Blues deliver blow to Qld Maroons with State of Origin Game 1 win in Brisbane
A dominant first half secured victory for New South Wales in the State of Origin opener 18-6, leaving the Maroons with a huge task to claim the shield as the series shifts away from Queensland. The Maroons have now lost two games in a row at Suncorp Stadium for the first time since 1997, having also lost last year's decider. Indeed, the margin of victory for the favourites should have been greater were it not for struggles by Blues' kickers Nathan Cleary and Zac Lomax, who went one from five. Related: New South Wales defeat Queensland 18-6 in series opener – as it happened NSW captain Isaah Yeo said team 'handled well' uncertainty in the lead-up around injuries to influential players Payne Haas and Stephen Crichton, who were both close to their best on Wednesday. And Yeo revealed he now enjoys the experience of running out at Suncorp Stadium, describing it as a 'special' place to play. 'To come up here, and I thought our first half was half was exceptional,' he said. His side scored three tries through silky backline play in the first half, two for winger Lomax down the right and one for Brian To'o on the other side of the field. The To'o four-pointer was the highlight thanks to a brilliant catch and pass from Latrell Mitchell, who found his outside man under heavy pressure from the rushing Queensland defence. Much of the pre-match discussion had centred around the ability of the Maroons' rookie centre Rob Toia to be able to contain Mitchell. Ultimately the 20-year-old acquitted himself well, and it was actually the Blues centre who experienced a mixed night. His handling error directly led to the Maroons' only try early in the second half, scored by Xavier Coates. But it proved little more than a footnote for NSW, who have now won three straight Origin contests and look almost unbeatable in 2025. Victory was sealed with seven minutes to go with a miracle try for fullback Dylan Edwards. Sustained Blues pressure on the Maroons' line ended with a kick and one-handed take from Lomax, who then found Connor Watson. The danger seemed to be extinguished when Watson was wrapped up by three defenders. But he managed to pass the ball back to Edwards, who mashed it into the ground to put the game beyond doubt. While the Blues controlled much of the match, the contest erupted early in the second half. The Blues were seeking to limit the damage during a period with To'o in the sin bin. Despite early errors, it looked they had done it too, when the Maroons butchered a scrum play 10m from the Blues' line. But on the first tackle, Jeremiah Nanai dislodged the ball from Mitchell and Coates scurried across in the corner. Despite the missed Valentine Holmes conversion, there was newfound energy in a stadium that had been flat in the first half. It was amplified when crowd favourite Tom Dearden came on to spell Harry Grant at hooker. A succession of kicks pinned the Blues back, a run of repeat sets finally ending when Lomax swooped on a Cam Munster grubber, keeping the ball in play and winning a penalty. That was as close as the Maroons would come, as errors mounted for both sides before Edwards' match-sealing try. The home side appeared to finally cross with a minute to go, but Holmes' try was ruled out due to a forward pass. Queensland were lucky to escape the first half down only 14-2 after a powerful period from the Blues. The visitors dominated yardage, out-gaining the Maroons 1,000m to 600m with tackles 233 to 162. For 39 minutes, set after set ended up down the Maroons' end, and the match appeared destined for a New South Wales victory. But Queensland swung momentum back thanks to Coates, their towering right winger and best player on the night. With less than a minute to go before half-time, he forced his opponent To'o into a handling error off a kick, and then in the last play of the half, baited To'o into grabbing in a subsequent aerial contest. The result was Queensland's first points, a sin bin for To'o, and hope for the capacity crowd of more than 54,000 at Suncorp Stadium. That hoped proved short-lived, and now the pressure mounts on the Maroons to produce in Perth in game two next month in a bid to keep the series alive for the decider in Sydney in July. Ominously for Queensland, the Blues feel they can improve. 'There's areas in our game that we can get better at, which is exciting,' Yeo said. 'I'd like to think we take some confidence out of it, but it's a long way to go.'
The Advertiser
28-05-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Lomax dominates the big moments as NSW defeat Qld
Zac Lomax had his hands all over the NSW Blues' 18-6 State of Origin victory over Queensland at Suncorp Stadium, as the visitors opened up the series with a convincing win. BIG MOMENTS FROM ORIGIN I: * Razzle-dazzle footy sees Lomax score. It didn't take long for Lomax to get involved after a half break from Mitchell Moses opened Queensland up. NSW's quick play-the-ball had his other half Nathan Cleary involved before Stephen Crichton used the space and speed to find winger Lomax for the opening four-pointer after 25 minutes. * Latrell Mitchell or Harlem Globetrotters? Latrell Mitchell reminded 52,483 fans at Suncorp Stadium why he's one of the best players in the world with a mid-air pass at rapid pace to Brian To'o for the Blues' second try. The speed of the pass combined with perfect placement to his winger left Xaxier Coates and Queensland fans stunned. * Discipline. Discipline. Discipline. Queensland were punished by a more astute and disciplined NSW side on Wednesday night. It was exemplified when the Maroons were pinged twice by referee Ashley Klein consecutively then Cleary shored up the right edge and found Dylan Edwards behind a block runner and Lomax bagged his second try. * Nanai's thumping hit gets Queensland on the board. The Maroons looked distraught after six players bundled Valentine Holmes into touch early in the second half. Enter Jeremiah Nanai. The second-rower rushed out of the line and cracked Mitchell, forcing an error, and a quick shift to the right via a beautiful offload from Robert Toia put the Maroons over for their only try to Coates. * High-flying Lomax ensures NSW see off Queensland. After being held scoreless for much of the second half, Lomax reminded Queenslanders why they'll be having nightmares for a while. A chip kick by Cleary was easily snatched from the sky by the Blues winger before a sensational offload led the way for Edwards to ice the contest. Lomax finished the game with two tries, four tackle busts, two line breaks and 177 run metres. * Blues re-write history north of the border. With their game-one win the Blues have now won two straight at Suncorp Stadium for the first time since 1998. Zac Lomax had his hands all over the NSW Blues' 18-6 State of Origin victory over Queensland at Suncorp Stadium, as the visitors opened up the series with a convincing win. BIG MOMENTS FROM ORIGIN I: * Razzle-dazzle footy sees Lomax score. It didn't take long for Lomax to get involved after a half break from Mitchell Moses opened Queensland up. NSW's quick play-the-ball had his other half Nathan Cleary involved before Stephen Crichton used the space and speed to find winger Lomax for the opening four-pointer after 25 minutes. * Latrell Mitchell or Harlem Globetrotters? Latrell Mitchell reminded 52,483 fans at Suncorp Stadium why he's one of the best players in the world with a mid-air pass at rapid pace to Brian To'o for the Blues' second try. The speed of the pass combined with perfect placement to his winger left Xaxier Coates and Queensland fans stunned. * Discipline. Discipline. Discipline. Queensland were punished by a more astute and disciplined NSW side on Wednesday night. It was exemplified when the Maroons were pinged twice by referee Ashley Klein consecutively then Cleary shored up the right edge and found Dylan Edwards behind a block runner and Lomax bagged his second try. * Nanai's thumping hit gets Queensland on the board. The Maroons looked distraught after six players bundled Valentine Holmes into touch early in the second half. Enter Jeremiah Nanai. The second-rower rushed out of the line and cracked Mitchell, forcing an error, and a quick shift to the right via a beautiful offload from Robert Toia put the Maroons over for their only try to Coates. * High-flying Lomax ensures NSW see off Queensland. After being held scoreless for much of the second half, Lomax reminded Queenslanders why they'll be having nightmares for a while. A chip kick by Cleary was easily snatched from the sky by the Blues winger before a sensational offload led the way for Edwards to ice the contest. Lomax finished the game with two tries, four tackle busts, two line breaks and 177 run metres. * Blues re-write history north of the border. With their game-one win the Blues have now won two straight at Suncorp Stadium for the first time since 1998. Zac Lomax had his hands all over the NSW Blues' 18-6 State of Origin victory over Queensland at Suncorp Stadium, as the visitors opened up the series with a convincing win. BIG MOMENTS FROM ORIGIN I: * Razzle-dazzle footy sees Lomax score. It didn't take long for Lomax to get involved after a half break from Mitchell Moses opened Queensland up. NSW's quick play-the-ball had his other half Nathan Cleary involved before Stephen Crichton used the space and speed to find winger Lomax for the opening four-pointer after 25 minutes. * Latrell Mitchell or Harlem Globetrotters? Latrell Mitchell reminded 52,483 fans at Suncorp Stadium why he's one of the best players in the world with a mid-air pass at rapid pace to Brian To'o for the Blues' second try. The speed of the pass combined with perfect placement to his winger left Xaxier Coates and Queensland fans stunned. * Discipline. Discipline. Discipline. Queensland were punished by a more astute and disciplined NSW side on Wednesday night. It was exemplified when the Maroons were pinged twice by referee Ashley Klein consecutively then Cleary shored up the right edge and found Dylan Edwards behind a block runner and Lomax bagged his second try. * Nanai's thumping hit gets Queensland on the board. The Maroons looked distraught after six players bundled Valentine Holmes into touch early in the second half. Enter Jeremiah Nanai. The second-rower rushed out of the line and cracked Mitchell, forcing an error, and a quick shift to the right via a beautiful offload from Robert Toia put the Maroons over for their only try to Coates. * High-flying Lomax ensures NSW see off Queensland. After being held scoreless for much of the second half, Lomax reminded Queenslanders why they'll be having nightmares for a while. A chip kick by Cleary was easily snatched from the sky by the Blues winger before a sensational offload led the way for Edwards to ice the contest. Lomax finished the game with two tries, four tackle busts, two line breaks and 177 run metres. * Blues re-write history north of the border. With their game-one win the Blues have now won two straight at Suncorp Stadium for the first time since 1998.
