John Lomax (rugby league)

John Junior Lomax (born 6 February 1966) is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. Primarily a prop, he captained New Zealand and played for the Canberra Raiders, North Queensland Cowboys and Melbourne Storm.[2][3]

Not to be confused with Jonny Lomax.

John Lomax
Personal information
Full nameJohn Junior Lomax[1]
Born (1966-02-02) 2 February 1966
Wellington, New Zealand
Playing information
PositionProp
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1988–92 Wainuiomata Lions
1993–96 Canberra Raiders 65 3 1 0 14
1997–99 North Queensland 44 1 0 0 4
2000 Melbourne Storm 3 0 0 0 0
Total 112 4 1 0 18
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1988–92 Wellington 25
1990–92 New Zealand Māori
1993–98 New Zealand 16 0 0 0 0
Source: [2]

Background

Born in Wellington, New Zealand, Lomax played his junior rugby league for the Wainuiomata Lions. His younger brother, David, was also a professional rugby league player, who represented New Zealand.

Playing career

In 1989, Lomax, alongside his three brothers (Arnold, Tony and David), played for Wainuiomata in their Wellington Rugby League Grand Final win over Upper Hutt.[4] In 1990, Wainuiomata won the Wellington Rugby League and the national Lion Red Cup competitions. That year, he represented the New Zealand Māori team against Great Britain.[5] He later played at the 1992 Pacific Cup.

In 1992, Lomax and his three brothers represented Wellington against Bay of Plenty.[6] All four brothers later played in the Lions 25–18 national Grand Final win over the Northcote Tigers. In 1993, he was invited to be part of an Auckland Invitational XIII side that drew 16-all with the Balmain Tigers.[7]

Canberra Raiders

In 1993, Lomax moved to Australia, joining the Canberra Raiders in the NSWRL Premiership. In Round 1 of the 1993 NSWRL season, he made his first grade debut in Canberra's 8–22 loss to the St George Dragons. In his debut season for the club, he played 20 games, starting all 20 at prop. In June 1993, he made his debut for New Zealand, playing in their three-game series against Australia. At the end of the year, he was selected to go on the 1993 New Zealand rugby league tour of Great Britain and France, playing in all five test matches.

In 1994, Lomax played 23 games for the Raiders and won the club's Player of the Year award but missed their Grand Final win over the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs due to suspension. A week earlier, he was sent off and charged for a high shot on Billy Moore in the side's 22–9 preliminary final win over the North Sydney Bears.[8]

In 1995, he played just 10 games for the Raiders but captained New Zealand for the first time in their mid-season series against France. On 23 June 1995, he captained New Zealand for the third and final time in an 8–26 loss to Australia. In October 1995, he represented New Zealand at the 1995 Rugby League World Cup, playing one game.

In Round 12 of the 1996 ARL season, Lomax collected Parramatta's Adam Ritson with a high tackle, knocking him out. Following the incident, a routine scan discovered that Ritson had a life-threatening brain cyst, from which he would never fully recover, ending his career.[9]

North Queensland Cowboys

In 1997, Lomax signed with the North Queensland Cowboys, joining his former Raiders' head coach Tim Sheens at the club. In his first season at the Cowboys, he played 15 games, missing three weeks due to suspension.[10] That year, he became the club's first New Zealand international when he played in the Kiwis' 30–12 win over Australia.

In 1998, he took over as captain of the Cowboys and won the club's Player of the Year award.[11][12] On 24 April 1998, he started at prop for the Kiwis in their 22–16 ANZAC Test win over Australia, his last game for his country.[13] In 1999, Lomax played just eight NRL games due to injury.

Melbourne Storm

In 2000, Lomax moved to the Melbourne Storm, playing just three games for the club before retiring at the end of the season.

Achievements and accolades

Individual

Statistics

NSWRL/ARL/Super League/NRL
Season Team Matches T G GK % F/G Pts
1993 Canberra 201133.306
1994 Canberra 2310—04
1995 Canberra 1010—04
1996 Canberra 1200—00
1997 North Queensland 1510—04
1998 North Queensland 2100—00
1999 North Queensland 800—00
2000 Melbourne 300—00
Career totals 112 4 1 33.33 0 18

International
Season Team Matches T G GK % F/G Pts
1993 New Zealand New Zealand 800—00
1994 New Zealand New Zealand 200—00
1995 New Zealand New Zealand 400—00
1997 New Zealand New Zealand 100—00
1998 New Zealand New Zealand 100—00
Career totals 16 0 0 — 0 0

Post-playing career

After retirement, Lomax became an organiser for the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union in Australia. In 2015, he was arrested and charged with blackmail during the Royal Commission into trade union governance and corruption.[14]

In October 2015, ACT prosecutors dropped the blackmail charge against him.[15] He is believed to have received a large payout from the Australian Federal police for wrongful arrest [16]

In 2012, he was named at prop in the Wellington Rugby League's Team of the Century.[17]

Personal life

Lomax's son, Tyrel, currently plays for Super Rugby club Hurricanes and represented the All Blacks in 2018.[18]

References
  1. Team of the Century - Week 6 Wellington Rugby League
  2. "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  3. Lomax, John Junior 1993 - 95, 1997 - 98 - Kiwi #639 Archived 2011-07-24 at the Wayback Machine nzleague.co.nz
  4. Lion Red 1989 Rugby League Annual New Zealand Rugby League, p.p.155-166
  5. John Coffey, Bernie Wood (2008). 100 years: Māori rugby league, 1908-2008. Huia Publishers. p. 261. ISBN 978-1-86969-331-2.
  6. Coffey and Wood The Kiwis: 100 Years of International Rugby League ISBN 1-86971-090-8
  7. Coffey, John and Bernie Wood Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909-2009, 2009. ISBN 978-1-86969-366-4, p.298.
  8. "Former Canberra Raiders prop John Lomax reveals brush with Billy Moore". Sydney Morning Herald. 19 June 2014.
  9. NRL's amazing injury comebacks and tragic retirements leading up to Jharal Yow Yeh's return, Fox Sports Australia, 4 February 2014
  10. Cadigan, Neil (2015). 25 Years in the Saddle. Playright Publishing. p. 132. ISBN 9780994237316.
  11. Cadigan, Neil (2015). 25 Years in the Saddle. Playright Publishing. p. 136. ISBN 9780994237316.
  12. Honours Archived 2011-10-12 at the Wayback Machine at cowboys.com.au
  13. "Endacott's heroes: 1998 Anzac Test". Canterbury Rugby League. 24 April 2018.
  14. "Former Kiwis international John Lomax charged with blackmail". Stuff (Fairfax). 24 July 2015.
  15. "Blackmail charge against CFMEU organiser and former Canberra Raider John Lomax dropped". ABC News. 1 October 2015. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
  16. "John Lomax wins payout from Australian police for wrongful arrest". Stuff (Fairfax). 25 May 2018.
  17. "Former Kiwis international John Lomax charged". Stuff.co.nz. 24 July 2015.
  18. "Why Tyrel Lomax chose a life for the All Blacks instead of Wallabies". Sydney Morning Herald. 1 December 2018.
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