Zac Lomax suffers injury blow, Jacob Kiraz emerges as top NSW Blues replacement

A surprise NSW Blues bolter has emerged to replace winger Zac Lomax, after the Eels star suffered a major injury blow that is set to rule him out of State of Origin Game I.

Canterbury star Jacob Kiraz has become a leading candidate – alongside the Dolphins’ Jack Bostock and Sydney Roosters veteran Daniel Tupou – to replace injured Eel Zac Lomax on the NSW wing this season.

This masthead also understands the Blues could consider shifting Canterbury centre Stephen Crichton or Manly fullback Tom Trbojevic to Lomax’s vacant wing position.

After an injury-disrupted start, Kiraz played his first game of the season last weekend, posting 178 run metres, 17 carries and a try assist.

A shattered Lomax will miss State of Origin I on May 28 – and the next six NRL rounds – after scans revealed a fracture in his foot.

The Eels will be without Zac Lomax for up to six weeks. Picture: NRL Imagery

He sustained the injury during Saturday’s 23-22 golden point win over St George Illawarra, where he kicked the winning field goal after receiving the fracture.

There are suggestions the injury could take up to ten weeks to fully heal. That would eliminate Lomax from Origin II and probably Origin III. It is a crushing blow to Lomax, Parramatta, fresh from their first win of the season, and NSW.

Lomax was on Tuesday afternoon named on the wing for Parramatta’s match against Canberra in Darwin on Saturday night.

It’s now likely that Bailey Simonsson will come into the side for his first NRL appearance of the season, having returned through NSW Cup and overcoming an ACL injury suffered last year.

Simonsson will likely slot into the centres, with Sean Russell pushing out onto the wing.

NSW coach Laurie Daley will now need to start canvassing contenders to play on the wing against Queensland.

Jacob Kiraz has become a leading candidate to replace injured Eel Zac Lomax on the NSW wing this season. Picture: Getty Images

Another concern for Daley is the Blues’ likely other winger, Brian To’o, remains sidelined until round nine with a hamstring injury.

Kiraz, Bostock and Tupou are all being scrutinised while Crichton and Trbojevic could be moved to the wing.

Daley’s centre options include Crichton, Trbojevic, Bradman Best, Kotoni Staggs, Jesse Ramien and Latrell Mitchell.

New recruit Lomax had been super in a Parramatta side struggling to find some form this season.

An Eels statement read: “Zac Lomax has been ruled out of Saturday’s game in Darwin after he sustained a minor fracture to his foot. He is expected to be unavailable for six weeks.”

Lomax’s Eels teammate, halfback Mitch Moses, continues to rehabilitate and recover from a left foot stress fracture.

While Moses has started running again, he remains unavailable for the Canberra match this weekend.

Parramatta believe Moses could make a surprise comeback for the round seven, Easter Monday game against Wests Tigers.

The Eels may however opt to give Moses another week’s rest over Easter given the club has a bye the following weekend. The incumbent Blues halfback, Moses would roar back in NSW contention should he return at Easter.

Moses, Penrith’s Nathan Cleary and Wests Tigers’ Jarome Luai are the key halves contenders for NSW.