Only one match into his NSW Blues career, Zac Lomax has proven that he belongs in the State of Origin arena and is eager to find his first victory.
One of the best Blues performers in the series' opening match, Lomax rose to the occasion in the second half after struggling in the first 40 minutes. This would see him finish with an impressive 207 running metres and score a try of his own after an incredible aerial take from a Nicho Hynes punt.
Now, he will be looking to continue his fine form in a must-win match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Victoria and is coming off a record-breaking performance against the Wests Tigers.
Playing alongside him at the Blues, Brian To'o has revealed that he is in awe of Lomax's ability, particularly his aerial ability and skill to produce some great catches in the air.
"He's definitely showed all the qualities of what a Blues player is and he's already showed it in Game One," To'o toldย Zero Tackle.
"He obviously showed up on his debut night and he's definitely made for it, so can't wait to see him go again.
"I wish I could do that, but I'm not tall enough," To'o added on Lomax's aerial ability.
"That's probably the perfect form of a winger, someone that can take those tough carries and also make those aerial catches as well. It's pretty good to see and keeping it old fashioned."
As Lomax looks to find his first Origin win, To'o's teammate Dylan Edwards will finally make his NSW Blues debut after being a late withdrawal from the team in Game One.
Edwards' debut means he will become the 22nd Penrith Panthers 2021 squad player to feature in the representative arena and the 13th member to appear in a State of Origin match.
Edwards will follow in the footsteps of To'o, Isaah Yeo, Matt Burton, Stephen Crichton, Jarome Luai, Nathan Cleary, Spencer Leniu, Apisai Koroisau, Tevita Pangai Jnr, and Liam Martin, who have all represented the Blues in the past. Kurt Capewell and J'maine Hopgood have found themselves playing for Queensland.
To accompany this, Scott Sorensen, James Fisher-Harris, and Moses Leota have featured for New Zealand, Villiame Kikau has represented Fiji, Robert Jennings for Tonga, and Taylan May, Charlie Staines, Tyrone May, and Izack Tago for Samoa.
"Obviously, the development that we had kind of shows how great of a club it is," To'o added.
"It's really good to see the upcoming generation as they continue to come through. There's a lot of talent and great players coming through for the future."
In recent times, the Panthers have had several players represent the U19s NSW Blues and U19s QLD Maroons as they look to push for a future Origin jersey.
The list includes Jack Cole, Isaiah Iongi, Harrison Hassett, Jesse McLean, Luron Patea, Billy Scott, Tim Sielaff-Burns, Zack Lamont and Casey McLean.
