Zac Lomax leads Brad Fittler’s handcrafted new generation of budding Blues

Brad Fittler has been building an entirely new generation of future Blues stars and the first of these young talents are beginning to rise to the top.

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Brad Fittler’s overnight Origin success was years in the making — just ask Zac Lomax.

Lomax is part of a generation of up and coming players with Origin in their sights who already know exactly what life in Fittler’s Blues is all about.

Before he was took charge as NSW Origin coach and led the Blues to a brilliant series victory this season, Fittler was appointed as the NSWRL’s performance development coach early in 2015.

The job sounds like impenetrable footy speak, but the task was simple — Fittler was to have his hands on the Blues Under 16s, 18s and 20s teams, identify the likely talent coming through and get them on the path to pulling on the Blue jersey.

Sometimes this involved flat out coaching the young fellas and sometimes it didn’t, but the plan is now coming to fruition.

Loamx was named in Fittler’s Emerging Blues squad.

Lomax, who Fittler has described as “capable of doing anything; he’s the gifted one’’,

made his NRL debut last season and linked up with the Emerging Blues this week.

“I’ve been in the junior ranks with Freddy for a few years now and we’ve built a relationship over the past few years,” Lomax said.

“He’s unreal, and I sort of know how he coaches. Freddy wears his heart on his sleeve and that’s the kind of coach you want to play for. He’s team first.

“He’s really confident in the players he chooses and he brings out the best in you.

“He’s someone you really want to play footy for and he knows what he’s talking about.”

Lomax has played for Fittler in the NSW Under 18s in 2016 and 2017 and Fittler singled out he and young Broncos giant Payne Haas as the two standout performers in the latter match, where Lomax set up the equalising try and kicked a late field goal in the Blues’ 35-28 victory.

Lomax has been a standout in junior football. Picture by Brett Costello.

Neither Lomax nor Haas are expected to vie for Origin spots just yet but some of Freddy’s boys are already rising to the top.

Nick Cotric and Cameron Murray played for Fittler in the Under 18s in 2016 and have both been named in the wider Origin training squad with the two serious chances of making their NSW debuts next season.

Queensland have crowed about their Emerging Maroons program for years and, at last, the Blues have a system to match them and turn their junior dominance into results at the highest level.

Lomax impressed in his four NRL games last season. Picture by Richard Dobson.

With just four NRL matches to his name and still only 19, Lomax may yet line up for the Blues Under 20s side again next season.

But Lomax does admit knowing Fittler believes in him as a player of the future sent his confidence through the roof.

“It does give you a lot of self belief and you do take confidence out of it,” Lomax said.

“But at the same time he does drill into you what it takes to be a good club teammate.

“It comes back to working hard, being on time and doing those little things your teammates want from you.”

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