St George Illawarra Dragons coach Shane Flanagan has backed star outside back Zac Lomax to make a State of Origin debut.
Despite being disappointed by his shift to the wing, causing him to ask for a release from the club which has since been granted to join the Parramatta Eels next season, Lomax has been in excellent form to start the year.
A majority would agree he is the competition's form winger, now having six tries to his name across the opening seven rounds.
He played his first game in the centres on Friday evening during a heavy win over the New Zealand Warriors and put in another excellent performance, running for 184 metres, assisting a try, scoring one of his own (and having another disallowed), as well as kicking three goals.
Lomax's performances so far this season have plenty suggesting he should be in the mix for a State of Origin jersey, and it's a point of view Flanagan agrees with.
โI think he needs to be discussed, let's be fair dinkum about it. He's the form winger and form centre. He's just in form. In Origin you need to have players like that," Flanagan said during his post-match press conference after the win which elevated the Dragons' record to four and three from their first seven games.
โHe comes up with big plays in big moments and I think in Origin, that's what you need.
โI think he has the temperament too as well.
โIt'll need to be a good winger or good centre to keep him out.โ
Josh Addo-Carr and Brian To'o are the incumbent wingers, and while there is little doubt the Penrith Panthers' star will be there, Addo-Carr's form and performance at Origin level last year has been mixed at best.
Lomax will likely shift back to the wing for the Dragons next weekend with Bird to return from a concussion he sustained last weekend during a wet and wild loss away from home to the Newcastle Knights.
