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“Backlash Begins: Latrell Mitchell Calls Explode as Zac Lomax Silences Critics with Redemption…… See More
It comes after fans insisted the Parramatta winger should not have been kicking for NSW.
Zac Lomax has provided a stunning response to critics suggesting Latrell Mitchell should have taken the State of Origin goalkicking duties for the Blues after a perfect night with the boot in Parramatta’s morale-boosting round 16 win over the Titans. The Eels brushed off the absence of their superstar halves Mitchell Moses (calf strain) and Dylan Brown (suspension) to record a 36-20 win that leaves Gold Coast rooted to the bottom of the NRL ladder.
Breakout fullback Isaiah Iongi laid on three tries and was exceptional at the back for the Eels, in the latest evidence that coach Jason Ryles has a future superstar on his hands. But the six-tries-to-four romp was also a chance for Lomax to atone for his disappointing night for the Blues in Origin Game 2, where he kicked just two goals from five as NSW went down 26-24 to the Maroons.
And the Eels winger responded to the backlash against him in style. Lomax was perfect with the boot after slotting six from six conversions, some of which were from difficult angles near the sideline. He also ran for a massive 211 metres from 25 carries to prove there was no issues backing up from the heartbreaking Origin loss in Perth.
Many were left questioning why Lomax was handed the goal-kicking duties for NSW in Perth when first-choice kicker Nathan Cleary felt a ‘pop’ in his groin during Blues training and decided to relinquish the responsibility. Stats from this season suggest it should have been Rabbitohs star Mitchell or Bulldogs captain Stephen Crichton taking over the kicking duties instead of Lomax.
The Parramatta winger had kicked 18 goals from his 23 attempts prior to Game 2, for a success rate of 78 per cent. While that is still an impressive figure, it actually put him as the fourth-best in the Blues’ squad, with Cleary (40 from 44 at 91 per cent), Mitchell (22 from 26 at 85 per cent) and Crichton is (36 from 43 at 84 per cent) all ahead of him.
Zac Lomax makes amends after Origin kicking woes for NSW
But Lomax – who kicked superbly in the Blues’ Origin series victory in 2024 – demonstrated on Sunday night why NSW coach Laurie Daley had entrusted him with the kicking tee in Perth after a flawless display against the Titans. In contrast, Mitchell had a rough night with the boot in South Sydney’s golden point loss to the Storm on Saturday, kicking just two from five.
One of those misses from the Rabbitohs superstar included a sideline attempt to win the game at the death, during regular time. Mitchell was instrumental in an incredible comeback from Souths that sent the game into extra time though, Mitchell setting up three tries for Alex Johnston with cutout passes, before laying on a fourth with a tremendous kick for Tyrone Munro to level the score in the dying stages.
It would be wrong to suggest Mitchell cost his side a famous win with his missed sideline conversion, as the Bunnies would not have gotten back into the contest had it not been for his earlier brilliance. The Rabbitohs fullback also narrowly missed a massive field goal attempt near the halfway line to win it, before Ryan Papenhuyzen’s one-pointer snatched a golden point thriller for the Storm. But it showed that calls for Mitchell to replace Lomax as the Blues kicker might have been misplaced and that even the best kickers have off nights with the boot once in a while.
