St Helens star Jonny Lomax wants to carry on playing for England but has learned to expect nothing.
The silky stand-off, 32, remains one of Betfred Super League’s top talents. And many fans reckon England could have won the World Cup last year if he’d been available. But after helping Saints to a fourth straight title, Lomax pulled out of the tournament for surgery on the bicep injury which had troubled him for most of the campaign.
He is in Shaun Wane’s extended squad preparing for the three Test series against Tonga at the end of the season which begins with a mouthwatering clash at his home ground of St Helens. But Lomax, who played in the 2017 World Cup final and also represented Great Britain two years later, sat out last month’s one-off game against France.
Asked if he does want to feature against Tonga, Lomax told the Daily Mirror: “Yes. But I go with the week to week. I deal in the now and try not to look ahead. I’ve had injuries curtail some of the things that I’d have liked to have done in the past. And now I don’t really look too far ahead. I’ve thought about it in the past and realised that I have just got to deal in the now, keep rolling in the now and see if that gives you an opportunity come the back end of the year.
“Everyone has aims and goals and it’s just about trying to put your best foot forward and trying to do your best every week. You’ve got to give yourself the best chance week in week out.”
Lomax has overcome three knee reconstructions and also underwent emergency open skull surgery after suffering a nasty concussion as a child. He will lead Saints into battle against Leeds on Friday as the World Club Challenge winners bid to kick-start their league campaign. They sit in the unusual spot of seventh after losing five of their opening 11 games.
But they have safely set up a Challenge Cup quarter-final at Hull FC after seeing off gritty part-timers Halifax 26-6 at The Shay last Friday. Lomax came off in the second half following a head knock but passed his HIA and will be fit for the trip to Headingley. On playing at Halifax, he said: “It was good. Nothing more than we expected really. We knew they’d be tough. They had nothing to lose and it’s an opportunity to go after Super League opposition.
“We’d set a good platform going in 16-0 at half-time and then second half we probably fell away from what worked so well . We weren’t clinical or relentless enough. But now we go to Leeds. It’ll be another tough contest.”
