Lomax admits he’ll be ‘devastated’ if he misses Origin I team

Zac Lomax says he will be “devastated” if he hasn’t done enough to retain his place on the end of NSW’s back line, after his emphatic return from injury on Friday night.

The high-flying winger had missed four games with a fractured bone in his foot, but he showed no ill-effects in Parramatta’s 28-6 trouncing of the Knights in Newcastle, scoring two tries, kicking four goals and carrying the ball for a game-high 271 metres in attack.

He admitted it was “not ideal” to have only one game under his belt leading into Origin I, to be played in Brisbane on May 28.

The 25-year-old is taking nothing for granted, but his performance against Newcastle – on top of his outstanding debut series in NSW’s 2-1 triumph last year – will be hard for new coach Laurie Daley to overlook.

“Origin is a goal you set at the start of every year,” Lomax said. “It’s the pinnacle of footy, and you want to achieve that goal.

“So for me, I got a taste of that last year and I loved it. Everyone that has played there just wants to go back and do it again and again ...

“Of course I want to be back there.

“I’ll be – and it’s not just me – every single person that gets a phone call will be devastated if they’re not in the team.

“And they’ll be lying if they’re not. Everyone wants to be in that team.”

Zac Lomax crosses in the corner for Parramatta on Friday night.Credit: NRL Photos

Lomax felt he would be better prepared for a second shot at interstate football, saying: “Origin is between the ears, from what I’ve experienced. It’s obviously a different game of footy.”

After a tough start to his Parramatta tenure that delivered four successive losses to open the season, Lomax has now featured in back-to-back wins.

“We’ve been on the bottom of the ladder, and that’s not where we belong,” he said. “Now we’ve just got to be as consistent as we can as a team, and myself as one of the more experienced players in the team.”

Eels skipper Mitchell Moses, another NSW incumbent who is hoping to be retained by Daley, said the Eels were a different team with Lomax back.

“He’s just a quality player,” Moses said. “Any time you have quality players come into your side, you feel confident, you grow an extra leg, everyone has a lot more energy.”

Knights skipper Kalyn Ponga, meanwhile, shapes as the short-priced favourite to be selected as Queensland fullback, a role he last held in 2022.

With Brisbane dynamo Reece Walsh unavailable because of a knee injury, Ponga and Dolphins flyer Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow would appear Billy Slater’s best options as the last line of defence.

“I want to be there, obviously,” Ponga said. “It’s a prestigious jersey, it’s an honour to wear that jersey. I would love to be in that arena again, [but] it’s up to Billy.”

Newcastle’s recent form – seven losses from their past eight games – hasn’t enhanced Ponga’s selection prospects.

“I’m part of that team, so I’m definitely not happy with the way we’re going here, and I’m in that as well,” Ponga said. “Obviously I want to be winning games. That’s what I want to do.

“But like I said, we’ve just got to rock up every day, willing to get better.”

Ball squirters fined $10,000

Penrith and North Queensland have been hit with $10,000 fines after their trainers were caught on TV squirting footballs with water bottles.

The incidents occurred during last Saturday’s 90-minute draw between the two clubs in Townsville.

Panthers trainer Shane Elford, who also works as the club’s general manager of football, and Cowboys’ Mitch Dunn were also hit with a two-match ban as part of the breach notice, but with one of those games suspended.

Panthers football manager and blue shirt trainer Shane Elford sprays water on the ball before a golden point kick-off against North Queensland.Credit: @TeddyCJD

“The NRL has also reminded all clubs about the limitations of the roles of trainers on match days,” the NRL said in a statement.

“Any action, other than those permitted under the NRL rules, may be considered a breach liable to sanctions.”

Elford has landed in hot water with the NRL before after having a number of verbal exchanges with opposition players, including Reed Mahoney and South Sydney’s Cody Walker.

Best out of Origin

Bradman Best has suffered a hamstring injury that will rule him out of Friday night’s showdown with the Parramatta Eels and rule him out of Origin contention for at least the first two games of the series.

Best has been hampered by hamstring injuries in the past and has suffered yet another injury blow on the eve of the clash with Parramatta.

Bradman Best has suffered a hamstring injury.Credit: Getty Images

Best is the Blues centre incumbent but was unlikely to earn a recall with the likes of Tom Trbojevic, Latrell Mitchell and Stephen Crichton all ahead of him.

The injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Knights, who have struggled in attack for the majority of the 2025 season.

Payten issued warning over criticism of match officials

North Queensland coach Todd Payten has been issued a “final warning” by the NRL to deter him from further criticism of match officials.

Payten fired a broadside at the referee, touch judges and bunker after his team’s 30-all draw with Penrith in Townsville last weekend, and while the governing body opted not to fine him, he has clearly been served notice.

The NRL indicated in a statement that Payten was a serial offender who had delivered “repeated and consistent criticism” of match officials.

“Mr Payten has been reminded of his obligations under the NRL rules and code of conduct, as well as his general responsibility as a sporting leader to set an appropriate example to grassroots and junior participants across the broader rugby league community,” the statement read.

“All rugby league participants are reminded to respect referees and match officials, who perform a vital and integral role within the game.”

Payten was asked at last week’s post-match press conference, after his team’s thrilling golden-point draw with the Panthers, whether referees were reluctant to make tough calls in extra time.

Cowboys coach Todd Payten.Credit: Getty Images

He agreed, replying: “That’s what they’re paid to do, make the right call at the right time ... it was so frustrating.

“We want consistency and we’re not getting it.

“I’m confused about what’s a high shot, and what’s not. I’m sure everyone else is … I’ll talk to the NRL through the week about it and go through the right channels.

“But it’s white noise. ‘Yeah, we got that wrong’, but no one is held accountable for it.

“If it’s my player making error after error, or a couple of howlers, then there’s a fair chance he’s not in the team.”

Payten has been a regular critic of match officials over the years. In his rookie year as a head coach, at the Warriors in 2020, he said it “infuriates me, embarrasses me as a coach that we are still having this [refereeing errors] happen in our game”.

Then in 2022, he claimed high-profile teams and players “get the benefit of the doubt too often” in terms of 50-50 calls.

He was touted as the next SBW. Could he be heading for the Tigers?

Wests Tigers have emerged as potential contenders for the signature of off-contract Newcastle forward Kai Pearce-Paul.

The England international, who has made 29 NRL appearances for the Knights, was compared to Sonny Bill Williams when he first arrived from Super League, and although he has shown glimpses of his potential during his time in the Hunter, he has not been as dominant as he was in the UK.

Knights forward Kai Pearce-Paul.Credit: Getty Images

The 198-centimetre, 108-kilogram back-rower, who is unlikely to be re-signed by the Knights, is keen on a new start and several NRL clubs have expressed interest, most notably the Tigers.

As yet, no deal has been struck but if the parties can come to terms for an immediate switch – rather than Pearce-Paul arriving at the end of the season – it would free up the money Newcastle need to immediately bring out-of-favour Rooster Dom Young back to the club.

Young is contracted to the Roosters until the end of 2027, but the club is at loggerheads with the Knights over whether they should pay any of the winger’s freight.

Meanwhile, the Tigers have lost in-form prop Fonua Pole for at least four to five weeks after he suffered an MCL injury in Sunday’s 64-0 thrashing in Melbourne.

Pole has been one of the Tigers’ best performers each week and will leave a considerable void up front, particularly if front row partner Terrell May is handed a NSW Origin debut by Laurie Daley.

The Tigers host the Rabbitohs on Sunday night, with Daley and the NSW hierarchy weighing up whether to name his Origin I squad after full-time or wait until Monday morning.

The Tigers have the bye in round 12 and it is hoped rising young half Latu Fainu (thumb) and winger Jeral Skelton (hamstring) will be able to return the following week against North Queensland.

Robinson slams Knights over Young negotiations

Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson is preparing to farewell Brandon Smith but has cast doubt on Dominic Young’s proposed return to Newcastle by firing a broadside at Knights officials.

Robinson said on Monday that Smith was undergoing a medical at South Sydney and the Kiwi hooker’s mid-season transfer to the Rabbitohs “should get sorted out today”.

Newcastle’s hopes of enticing Young back up the freeway, however, appear far less promising, after Robinson took the Knights to task for allegedly asking the Roosters to not only release the 23-year-old from the remainder of his contract, but also to pay him out for the rest of this season.

Young is barely 18 months into a four-year deal and, unless the Knights can come back with a revised offer, Robinson said the Roosters were content to honour his contract.

Asked if the proposed deal could fall through, Robinson replied: “Yeah, unless things change from their end.

“I think they’re trying to bluff us into it, but we didn’t want it to happen. We didn’t instigate any of this. Anyway, that’s done.

“I think I’ve been pretty clear in our stance and how it went down. So it’s just get back to work, let’s keep playing, and get back to Dom playing his best footy and being in a place for selection.”

Robinson said reports last week that the Roosters were trying to move Young on, to free up salary cap space, were incorrect. He said the club had received an approach from Newcastle, with whom Young started his NRL career, scoring 43 tries in 51 games before his move to Bondi Junction.

Dominic Young won’t be joining the Knights unless the Roosters agree to release him.Credit: Getty Images

“The way it was put out there was as if we were trying to push him out, which wasn’t the case,” Robinson said.

“Newcastle rang us – obviously having talked to his manager beforehand when he got dropped, to try and get him out – and we said yes ... then they’ve backtracked at the end of the week and today, so that’s really annoying.

“If you ask for something, you’ve prepared it, then you stick by it. And they haven’t done that, and it’s thrown Dom in a spin, and us all this week, when it wasn’t our doing.

“So it’s pretty annoying … it’s been pitched one way, and then they’ve pivoted.”

Robinson said the sticking point was that the Knights asked the Roosters to pay out the balance of Young’s contract for this season, estimated to be worth about $200,000.

“They want us to release him, but us to pay money for it, when we weren’t even thinking about releasing him,” Robinson said. “In what world does that happen?”

Brandon Smith is on his way out of Bondi.Credit: Getty Images

Knights chief executive Philip Gardner declined to respond to Robinson’s comments, saying: “We have more class than that.”

Young was dropped after the Roosters’ round seven loss to Penrith and played NSW Cup on Sunday, scoring a try.

Robinson said former Wallaby Mark Nawaqanitawase had leapfrogged Young based on his form this season, but that could change.

“It’s just I thought Mark was outplaying him,” Robinson said. “Really simple. It happens every week in sport around the world. It’s quite simple. He’s a really good player. He’s an NRL player. He’s a starting NRL player. But Mark was playing slightly better, and you make that choice.”

In contrast to the Young imbroglio, Robinson said the transfer of Smith to arch-rivals South Sydney was likely to be “pretty simple from both ends”.

“I think both sides have handled it pretty cleanly and quite well, which would be disappointing for the gossip columnists to hear, but it was pretty clean, all of that,” he said.

“And then, yeah, the other one [Young] ... it’s pretty rare. I haven’t seen too many go like that, to be honest.”

Robinson said the Roosters were still interested in signing departing Manly skipper Daly Cherry-Evans, but have not yet started negotiating with his management.

Trainers under scrutiny for wetting ball as Cowboys coach rages at referees

The NRL will on Monday review reports of both Penrith and North Queensland trainers spraying water on the ball before golden-point kick-offs as Cowboys coach Todd Payten prepares to lodge a formal complaint over several calls in his side’s 30-all draw with Penrith.

Both Payten and Penrith opposite Ivan Cleary were incensed with the officiating in Saturday’s 90-minute thriller in Townsville, with the North Queensland mentor struggling to hold himself back from swearing as he critiqued contentious calls.

The NRL football department is also in possession of footage shot from the stands in which Penrith’s football manager Shane Elford – who doubles as their blue-shirt trainer on game day – sprays water on the ball before the Panthers kicked off golden point.

Cowboys halfback Jake Clifford caught the ball without incident.

Payten did not respond to calls on Sunday but told The Daily Telegraph that Elford “did it before every kickoff. We noticed it in the [coaching] box”.

North Queensland’s trainer also sprayed water on the ball before Clifford prepared to kick off the second half of extra-time, but referee Todd Smith picked up on it.

Smith could be heard on the broadcast calling for an extra ball and explaining shortly afterwards that “he squirted the ball”.

The NRL goes over all football matters as part of its weekly Monday reviews.

Payten raised multiple referee decisions in his post-match press conference, taking specific issue with Cowboys winger Murray Taulagi being penalised for a high shot on Liam Henry, who slipped into the contact.

The Panthers scored from the set that followed.

Payten was incensed that Cowboys centre Viliami Vailea was not awarded a penalty minutes later after being flattened by Tom Jenkins in cover defence.

The collision left Vailea in pain on the ground.

“Murray Taulagi got a penalty where a bloke fell into his chest and then Viliami Vailea, less than five minutes later, got his head taken off,” Payten said.

“It was right in front of the touch judge, and there was no call there. That was wrong. There was also a flop … on the 40-metre line. Any later and it would’ve been tomorrow.”