NRL MVP Index: Zac Lomax leads the way as golden era of centres has arrived
What makes Dragons star Zac Lomax the king of the new breed of centres is a particular ability that none of his contemporaries can, so far, match.
NRL
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
2020 was the dawn of a new era of exciting young centres ready to set the game alight for the next decade.
A cursory glance at the NRL MVP Index of centres for 2020 proves the position is once again becoming increasingly specialised.
Not only were several of the top-ranked players — Zac Lomax (1st), Campbell Graham (3rd), Kotoni Staggs (4th), Bradman Best (5th) and Stephen Crichton (12th) — specialist centres, they’re all players at the beginning of their careers.
SCROLL DOWN TO READ THE NRL MVP INDEX FOR CENTRES
Wing and centre are no longer totally interchangeable and while some players can still switch between the two, it’s not as simple a switch as it once was.
Lomax, in particular, shows the future of the position.
His MVP Index score of 92.8 from last year’s 28-24 loss to Cronulla in Round 11 (two tries, one try assist, four tackle busts, one offload, four goals from five attempts, 15 tackles, zero missed tackles, zero errors and zero penalties conceded) was the best all-round match by a centre all season.
Lomax missed out on a debut State of Origin jersey with Brad Fittler preferring makeshift options Jack Wighton and Clint Gutherson, but in terms of specialist three-quarters, there are few better than the young Dragon.
“The kind of footy I want to be able to play is a consistent seven or eight out of ten, I want to be like those players at the top where their best games and their worst aren’t that far apart,” Lomax said.
“There’s a lot of good centres come through and it’s exciting to see but it’s exciting to play against them as well. You have to be on your best game, they’re such a handful.
“There’s nobody you can have an off game against, it’s too hard to catch up.
“But I don’t like to compare myself to other players, you just set yourself up to fail. I just compare myself to the way I played in previous games.”
What helps set Lomax apart from his centre peers is his ability to create chances for others, which comes from his greater understanding of the position.
It’s what gives Lomax the slighted of edges over the likes Staggs, Best and Graham — all dangerous attacking players, but who are yet to develop passing games that match Lomax’s sophisticated play.
Lomax accumulated seven try assists last season, the most of any centre in the competition, and those skills help separate him from some of his peers.
“I like to see myself as more of a footy player, not someone who is just pigeonholed into that one kind of role,” Lomax said.
“Wherever I’m needed to play or whatever I’m needed to do for the team I can put my hand up and be happy to do it, and be confident to do it as well.
“I grew up playing a lot of different positions back home in Temora. My ball work probably comes from there.”
CALLING SUPER GAGAI
It’s the storyline that rears its head every Origin period – Dane Gagai’s superhuman ability in the Maroons jersey.
However, according to the numbers, Gagai was the ninth best centre in the competition in 2020 with an MVP Index average of 70.63 per game.
With a permanent shift to centre this year, it begs the question, could we finally see Origin Gagai every single week?
“Yes,” Queensland Origin great Billy Moore said.
“He’s reached that maturity in his game and he’s in a team who is just red hot.
“I have Souths to win the comp.
“They’re recent history, they’re depth of talent and the new rules actually suits them.
“Gagai is going to get some ball delivered on a platter by some wonderful playmakers in Adam Reynolds, Cody Walker and Latrell Mitchell.
“So I think we can see the Origin Gagai every single week this year.”
CENTRE OF PARRA’S PROBLEMS
If the numbers are anything to go by Parramatta will need a serious lift in their centres for 2021.
With Michael Jennings sidelined indefinitely, the Eels will turn to Tom Opacic and Waqa Blake as their top three-quarter combination.
Jennings had an MVP Index score of 67.22 from 19 games in 2020, while Opacic was only slightly behind that figure at 65.92 from his five starts.
Opacic was solid enough and is a sound defensive player but Blake, recruited from Penrith as a strike centre, was 41st overall with an average of just 64.42.
Given how much Parramatta relied on Jennings’ game-breaking abilities out wide, Blake is under serious pressure to deliver in 2021.
He only scored six tries all last year and made only six linebreaks. Blake also only had two linebreak assists and two try assists, therefore not producing the big plays to break the game open for the Eels, or to elevate him higher up the NRL MVP Index.
Blake also missed more tackles than any other starting centre in 2020 and, on average, missed the third most per game.
The Kangaroos teammates who embraced Ian Roberts’ sexuality
Ian Roberts knew his open display of homosexuality on the 1994 Kangaroos tour would prompt discomfort among some teammates. He reveals the two teammates who welcomed his then partner, Shane.
How Maguire is confronting Broncos’ ‘rock star’ culture
There is a view some players at the Broncos have become “rock stars” following their fairytale charge to the 2023 grand final. This is how new coach Michael Maguire will drive cultural change.