State of Origin: Mitchell Moses injury will see Zac Lomax kick goals for Blues at MCG

The NSW Blues have made a worrying concession ahead of Wednesday’s match against the Maroons, with Mitch Moses forced to hand over one of the toughest jobs in the game to an Origin rookie.

Dean RitchieMelbourne

@BulldogRitchie

2 min read

June 25, 2024 - 4:43PM

News Sport Network

, BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 21: Mitchell Moses of the Blues is tackled during game two of the State of Origin series between the Queensland Maroons and the New South Wales Blues at Suncorp Stadium on June 21, 2023 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

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He has played just 80 minutes of State of Origin football but NSW winger Zac Lomax has been suddenly handed the crucial goalkicking role at the notoriously challenging MCG.

It comes as halfback Mitchell Moses sent a scare through Blues camp in the lead-up to Wednesday night’s second Origin match, after he pulled up soreness in his foot and personally told coach Michael Maguire he would reluctantly step down as first-choice goalkicker.

Moses has only recently returned from a fractured left foot and, while there is no suggestion he will withdraw from the match, it has forced Maguire to turn to Lomax in just his second match for NSW.

While Moses kicks with his right foot, he uses his left to stabilise when striking the ball.

Even as late as Tuesday afternoon, NSW were still considering whether Lomax or centre Latrell Mitchell would kick goals on Wednesday night.

But this masthead can reveal it will be Lomax, who has kicked 41 goals from 52 attempts this year for a strike rate of 78.8 per cent. His career goalkicking average is 76.3 per cent, but the MCG’s wide open spaces, and strange wind directions, make the job even more perilous.

It’s a significant responsibility given NSW must win to keep the interstate series alive.

“He will love the challenge,” said Lomax’s club coach, St George Illawarra’s Shane Flanagan.

“Zac has self-belief by the bucket loads. It’s a big game but he takes his goalkicking really seriously.

“I’m not saying he will kick every single goal but Zac will go through his processes. He will need to get used to the arena where there is a lot of open space behind the goalposts.

“It will be a matter of getting the angles right.”

There are remarkable similarities between the first-ever Origin game played in Melbourne in 1994 and Lomax assuming the goalkicking duties in front of an expected 90,000 crowd at the MCG.

The back-page story of The Daily Telegraph on June 8, 1994, featured Blues legend Michael O’Connor warning NSW over their choice of a new goalkicker, Balmain’s Tim Brasher, for the crucial second game of that series.

Zac Lomax is expected to take over the goalkicking duties for the Blues. Picture: Rohan Kelly

The second story, written by the late, great Peter Frilingos, referenced an Origin record attendance of 90,000 for the game — the same crowd figure expected on Wednesday night, 30 years later.

Queensland’s goalkicker Valentine Holmes practiced at the MCG during Tuesday’s captain’s run.

Slater said it was about “getting a feel for the conditions and your boundaries”.

“There is a bit of grass outside the field of play before it gets to the grandstands.

“You’re playing in a different environment. The kickers will have a kick, the catchers will have a catch.”

While Moses won’t kick, the Parramatta halfback will still direct the Blues’ attack, and he drew high praise from Maguire.

“Mitch in that last game last year (for NSW), I think he got a lot of confidence out of that by the way he steered the team around,” Maguire said. “I’ve drawn on that, talking to Mitch about how he has come into the group and he’s been very strong.

“I’ve had a lot of conversations with Mitch up until the selection in this series. He was close (in game one) and was always part of my thoughts. He has come in and added a lot to the team.”