NRL 2021: Jackson Ford set to replace Tyson Frizell in Dragons pack
Nobody at the Dragons has bigger shoes to fill than whoever replaces Tyson Frizell but the Red V might already have the perfect replacement.
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There are plenty of spots up for grabs at St George Illawarra but no player has bigger shoes to fill than whoever replaces Test and Origin backrower Tyson Frizell.
The hard-running edge forward has headed to Newcastle in 2021 and Dragons coach Anthony Griffin faces a tough ask in replacing the representative star.
However, a capable successor might be right under his nose in 22-year old Jackson Ford, who has his sights set on filling the hole Frizell left behind on the right edge.
“It was massive seeing Frizz go, he’s an Origin player and one of the best backrowers in the whole comp. But Hook trusts us,” Ford said.
“Last year I was floating around a bit, a bit of middle and edge but I do like the edge, so I want to knuckle down and become more of an edge this year.
“I’m not as big as some of the middles, and I feel like I’ve got a bit more to bring on the edge.”
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A powerful runner with good footwork and mobility, Ford has switched between second row and lock since making his NRL debut in 2019 and the Gerringong product could be poised for a breakout season in 2021.
He won’t walk into the starting side unopposed with Tyrell Fuimaono also in contention while Jack Bird has been spending most of his time training with the forwards.
But with Bird set to start the season from the bench Ford is the likely contender to slot in, so long as he continues to thrive under Griffin’s tutelage.
“I’ve been loving Hook, he’s more that old-school style - he always wants you pushing up with the ball, always be there, I feel like that’s my style of football,” Ford said.
“(He’s got me) focusing on defence, keep knuckling down and making sure there’s no breakaways on my edge and keep working with my halves, and put a bit more weight on.”
Chopping and changing the line-up was the order of the day for the Dragons in recent years, but last season their right edge of Frizell, Zac Lomax and Mikaele Ravalawa emerged as one of their best attacking weapons.
Ford’s bustling style would seemingly compliment Lomax well and further bolster the space on offer to two of the club’s most dangerous players.
Regardless of who wins the job, establishing a combination and sticking to it will be the key to success.
“There’s some big shoes to be filled with Tyson leaving,” Lomax said.
“Everyone who’s here will buy into what we need on that right edge, but working together, that’s something that we’ve probably lacked a little bit for a few minutes during games, myself included.
“There’s been some indecision, just not being on the same page.
“But we’re training really well, there’s been a few different players that have been training there, it’s been good for everyone to learn as much as they can.”
‘BUILDING SOMETHING SPECIAL’: DRAGONS READY FOR FINALS RETURN
St George Illawarra star Zac Lomax is enjoying new coach Anthony Griffin’s “short and sweet” style and can feel something special brewing at the Dragons.
Lomax’s emergence last season was one of the bright spots for the Dragons in an uneven year that culminated in the sacking of coach Paul McGregor.
“I feel like the week and a half (that) I’ve been back that we’re building something special here,” Lomax said.
A big reason for Lomax’s high hopes is the new mentor.
“Everything that I’ve had to do with Hook (Griffin) he’s been very simple. He cuts it down a lot. He just I guess instils a lot of confidence too. He keeps everything very simple, very short and sweet.
“I’m really looking forward to working with Hook. His success rate in the NRL has been unreal.”
In the years to come, we may well look back on 2020 as the making of Lomax.
A switch to fullback was abandoned after just one match, Lomax settled into right centre and by the end of the season he’d become one of the most dangerous outside backs in the NRL.
What stood out about Lomax wasn’t so much his dynamic running game - although that was notable, given he scored 13 tries - but how he could create opportunities for others.
Lomax put together seven try assists for the season, the equal most of any non-spine player in the NRL, with his combination with barnstorming winger Mikaele Ravalawa becoming a potent attacking weapon in the latter stages of the year.
In an era where out-an-out centres are becoming rarer, Lomax is a refreshing throwback, a specialist in a position that is more often than not filled with makeshift options.
“I definitely did feel comfortable at centre towards the end of the season,” Lomax said.
“We were building a good combination on the right edge, Mika is unreal to play with, he’s got such a powerful carry and he’s one of the best finishers in the game, in my opinion.
“It was just good to get some combinations together.
“I felt like the combinations we had towards the end of the season were really good and we’re building something special there, hopefully.
“You look at the best players in the NRL, they’re consistently playing around an eight out of 10.
“That’s what I want to be, I want to be that player that’s not going to let my teammates down and they know what they’re going to get from me. That’s the player I want to be.”
Lomax was called up to the NSW Origin squad and while he was unlucky not to earn his Blues debut the 21-year old said he still learned much from his time in camp.
“I was around the best players in the game, I just went in there and took my notepad and tried to understand every different player, their rituals and habits going into the biggest games they play,” Lomax said.
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