He’s loving life hanging on the coattails of that Saints front row, much like some of his teammates.

He’s a good player no doubt but he’s certainly not a great one and he’s way behind the likes of Austin. I wouldn’t pick any heritage players for GB mind.

Every sport has its rules on international eligibility and we’re no different. We’re in a time when Superleague is falling miles behind the NRL and we need to attract a new NRL deal. For that reason I’d say it’s reasonable to play any player who is eligible. We need the best players playing the game on TV to attract new sponsors. If they’re eligible then they’re eligible and we should look to pick the strongest side from the players who are eligible for selection, even if it does stick in the throat!!

I can see both sides of the argument really but I think it's true that, as a sport, we need to do whatever we can to make the international game as competitive and interesting to the TV audience as possible. If that means adding qualifying players born elsewhere then I think we should do. After all, the Aussies have never shied away from it and they have a much bigger pool of quality players than we do. Ultimately it's all a matter of balance.

Lomax is the current English number 1 half back and as such gets a wage from the rfl.

Austin has never got close to an international shirt

Unlucky

As have any number of very talented NRL players we could all quote. Which says nothing about the comparison between Lomax and Austin.

He has played for Portugal a few times despite having no Portugese ancestry.

Lomax is a quality player, he unfortunately lacks either genuine pace or size which imo will always hold him back particularly at international level

He is playing behind a very dominant pack against poor SL defence. Most half decent backs can look great doing that but he wont have that same space and time to do what he is doing in SL when it comes to England and he will look slow and ineffective. International teams need half backs that can create a moment of magic and come up with a game changing play from nothing when the games is at a stalemate for long periods, Lomax cant do that. Hes not fast enough or skillful enough.

Haha no he’s not. Lomax is England’s backup fullback when Widdop is injured. That’s about it.

Exactly. You can only imagine what better players like Austin, Williams or Hastings would’ve done playing behind Walmsley, Roby and Thompson and under Justin Holbrook.

Lomax is a good superleague player but it ends there.

he is a good player, but not an outstanding one. Do halves really need pace and/or size? James Maloney has not got a lot of either, and neither did JT.

He's a very very good Superleague player, albeit in a team which is a halfback's dream at present.

Only 80% of a test quality half though for me.

Well whilst respecting the various opinions I stand by my original post especially having watched him run us ragged tonight .He is a terrific player.

He had a great game, thought that challenge at the end on Hankinson looked a bit naughty though, but it was only the one look so who knows.

Don't you think its silly to put little guy in for GB, that's currently playing half behind the leagues strongest pack, up against them big Aussies halfs?

I'm guessing you haven't even thought it through.

I’d love to see what Williams could do behind a truly dominant pack. Sadly we won’t see that at Wigan.

Lomax is a very good player, he also has the huge advantage of playing almost every week behind a dominant pack. He not international class (just my opinion of course).

Lomax has been consistently brilliant at 6 for two years now. Clearly the best 6 in SL, big pack or not.

Class act.

He’s excellent but this is where the debate started a few pages back. He’s not the best 6 at all, Austin is.

Shame he didn’t playa against Saints the other week so we could compare them. Or did he? Can’t remember seeing him.

I also prefer Williams.

Even the wolfs fans are now admitting Austin is overrated.

He was (Austin) the first half of the season, when the games got tougher in the second half of the season he has had long spell of AWOL in a game.

I wonder


Does that remind you of anyone last season?

I'd seen enough after Good Friday to know that his heart wasn't in it.

No we aren't.
Are you saying he is?

The two best halfs in SL are Hastings and Austin.
For all their brilliance...half backs pretty much useless behind beaten packs...

Just how good are Hastings and Austin then?... well each of them have helped their team win games when the pack was 2nd best.

That is how good they are...but they can't do it by themselves all the time.