Zac Lomax's surprise act amid Latrell Mitchell and Titans fallout: Good, bad, ugly of NRL round 4
Latrell Mitchell and the Gold Coast Titans are once again in the firing line.
😃 The good: Zac Lomax looking happy on the park for Dragons
😔 The bad: Latrell Mitchell targeted with more boos from fans
😡 The ugly: Des Hasler's problems deepen at the struggling Titans
Zac Lomax on fire amid reports he wants out of Dragons
Have you ever seen a footballer so happy at a club he supposedly wants out of so desperately? We talk, of course, of St George Illawarra star Zac Lomax.
Lomax has been arguably the Dragons' best player over the opening month of the season and was again front and centre in the vital win over Manly on Saturday night. Check out the scenes at full-time when Lomax raises his arms several times to encourage the crowd to join in the celebrations.
He looks anything but a player at odds with the club and hating life. The passion and love for the badge was obvious. But still we're told it’s a matter of time before he walks away from the Red V. Lomax doesn’t want to play on the wing and will move clubs to return to his preferred position in the centres.
That move could take place in comings weeks if a player swap with another club can be arranged – Parramatta's name has been mentioned – or more likely happen at the end of the season. But don’t discount a complete change of heart.
Shane Flanagan has a way with players, often turning their heads around with some straight talking and gentle persuasion. He's settled the very unsettled Ben Hunt and has Tyrell Sloan focused and firing after a troublesome 2023. Flanno will not give up on Lomax. Expect a bit more to play out on this one.
Boo boys continue to target Latrell Mitchell
Your columnist attended the Souths-Canterbury Good Friday clash and heard the booing directed at Latrell Mitchell. It started when his face was shown on the big screen before the game and continued with his first few touches of the ball.
Mitchell also copped it at halftime after he was involved in a heavy collision with Bulldogs winger Josh Addo-Carr, which left the Foxx dazed and out of the game with concussion. During the second half, the booing dropped off to near silence anytime the Rabbitohs fullback had the ball.
From where I sat, the booing was nothing more than targeting a star player who polarises fans. It certainly wasn't persistent abuse or appear racially motivated, more the sort of mindless booing some fans seem to thrive on.
I certainly hope that was the case. It was a similar deal when Mitchell took on his old club the Roosters the previous week. But the NRL is right in keeping an eye on it in case it escalates and turns ugly.
Fans have a right to show emotion during a match, as long as it doesn't over-step the mark. We don’t want to go down the Adam Goodes path. That's not what rugby league is about.
Beau Fermor called out as Titans woes mount
Des Hasler has much bigger problems to deal with at the Titans than on-field taunts from players. But he still might like to call forward Beau Fermor in for a little chat this week.
Fermor is a decent enough player but made a right royal goose of himself in trying to get under the skin of young Dolphins winger Jack Bostock as the Gold Coast briefly held the upper hand on Saturday night. Bostock dropped a high kick and Fermor was first on the scene, ruffling the Dolphins player's hair and giving him a mouthful before pushing him in the chest.
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The kid, playing just his seventh NRL game, understandably looked a bit rattled but recovered to score a couple of tries, including one where Fermor was again on the scene but this time too late. The Fox commentary team wondered out loud whether Bostok would return the favour and sledge Fermor, but he simply got up and started walking back to halfway, no doubt knowing any sort of pay back would not have gone down too well with Wayne Bennett.
But that didn’t stop the fans from piling in. One wrote on X: "Beau Fermor can't be talking that sh*t and then be nowhere near his edge when the dude scores a try."
Fox commentator Corey Parker said of the Fermor sledge: "Bostok took that a lot better than I would. There's no need for that…(he's) a young kid just trying to find his way in first grade." Rugby league karma came back to bite Fermor and the Titans in a big way as they crashed to their third straight defeat.
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