Wallabies and Reds scrum-half Tate McDermott has urged Rugby Australia not to ignore the rugby union talent in that country while they are trying to sign rugby league stars like Zac Lomax.
Lomax, who plied his trade on the wing in rugby league, walked out on a three-year contract with NRL outfit the Parramatta Eels and was heavily linked with a move to the rebel league, R360.
However, R360’s plans to launch its global rugby series next year have been pushed back until 2028 which means there is uncertainty over the 26-year-old’s future.
Highly rated rugby league player
Lomax is highly rated in rugby league circles as he has represented Australia at Test level in the 13-a-side code and the New South Wales Blues in the State of Origin.
It has been suggested that he could become a target for rugby union clubs in Japan or France and he has also been linked to Australian Super Rugby sides the Brumbies and Western Force. He has also been linked with a possible return to the NRL with the Melbourne Storm.
However, the possibility of Lomax, or any other player from the 13-a-side code, coming over to rugby union is not something which McDermott sees as a priority.
“With all due respect, I don’t really care,” the Reds skipper told reporters during a Wallabies training camp in Sydney on Tuesday. “I think we’ve got bigger fish to fry to be honest.
“Anyone of (Lomax’s) calibre, of course they’d be having discussions with, but we’ve got so many talented players here.
“You only have to look at Max Jorgensen for example, and the progression we saw from him over that 12-month period.
“That wing position has got incredible depth. Zac’s obviously a great league player, (but) I don’t know too much about him.”
McDermott missed the Wallabies‘ recent end-of-year tour to Europe after sustaining a hamstring tear during last year’s first Bledisloe Cup Test at Eden Park in Auckland.
On the road to recovery
The 27-year-old is still recovering from that injury and is in a race to be fit for the Reds’ Super Rugby Pacific opener against their arch-rivals the Waratahs in Sydney on February 13.
“I don’t have a target date just yet, but we’re really happy with how they’re progressing,” he said.
“With these injuries, it can be anywhere from four to six months so once I get back running, which will hopefully be at the end of the month, I’ll be able to give you a clearer picture but at the moment, all things are going really positively.
“I’ve had no hiccups. I’ve been getting flogged in the pool just because I haven’t been able to run, which I’ve enjoyed.
“Across my whole career, I’ve been really lucky I haven’t been injured so this is my first serious stint on the sidelines, and it gives me a really good chance to freshen up, so that when I am ready, I’ll be ready to go.”
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