Star Sport
St Helens' Jonny Lomax can learn plenty from Lance Hohaia
9:01am Tuesday 7th February 2012
THERE are some who would argue that youngsters Lee Gaskell and Jonny Lomax should have been left to develop as Saints’ halves after their storming first season together in the senior squad.
But the decision to bring over the experienced Lance Hohaia will benefit the duo’s development in the long term.
Last year’s Super League young player of the year Lomax has welcomed the signing of the World Cup winning Kiwi - and says he will learn plenty from playing alongside him.
Lomax, who signed a new contract in the off-season that will keep him at Saints until the end of 2015, said: “People were surprised with the way me and Gasky went last year, probably none more than ourselves.
“But Lance has won World Cups and Four Nations with New Zealand and been an international for years – the experience he brings is massive and I have learned stuff off him already and I’m sure Gasky feels the same.”
Last year both players caught the opposition out, when they took over the mantle vacated by first choice six and seven, Leon Pryce and Kyle Eastmond.
That inexperience worked for them in some games - but Lomax was also aware of shortcomings.
“When you are inexperienced and don’t know what to expect you can be a bit fearless. Sometimes that works, other times it doesn’t.
“But Lance has a cool head that comes with experience and has some crafty plays “He is a top bloke on top that and it is great to have him around.”
Lomax would have been picked for the England side had he not suffered ankle ligament damage in the Grand Final defeat by Leeds - an injury that would have forced him off the field had fellow casualties Paul Wellens and Michael Shenton not already been led off in the second half.
His name is now up in lights - and that will possibly see him targeted much more this term.
That is something he is pretty comfortable with.
“I may get a bit more attention – we will see if that is the case. But the way I look at that is that it will create even more space for my runners and so that can only be good for the team,” he said.
Although he is as excited as most players at the palatial Langtree Park surroundings, his primary focus is on Saturday’s trip to London against a new-look Broncos side.
It is a task that is keeping the players’ feet on the ground.
“Nobody is going to get ahead of themselves because London have recruited strongly and we are going to have to produce our top game to get a result.
“We have recruited blokes with experience – but they have brought in the likes of Craig Gower who has tons of big games under his belt.
“They have had a longer pre-season than us having failed to make the play offs so they are going to come out firing and we need to be prepared for that.
“Hopefully we are,” he said.
Lomax’s injury, which ruled him out of the Four Nations, has probably turned into something of a mixed blessing in allowing him extra time on his pre-season.
In that time he has been working on his kicking game with Tommy Martyn, his perceived weakness and is looking forward to the year ahead in the number seven shirt.
“It was a mixed blessing getting the injury and that has allowed me a decent off season.
“I missed a couple of weeks but since then I have been training full time and progressed really well.
“I was happy with the way last season went but having a good pre-season on the back of that gives me plenty of confidence for the year ahead,” he said.