Zac Lomax came into first grade as part of a winning Dragons team in 2018 and has admittedly won "f**k all" ever since - but all that is destined to change under new head coach, Shane Flanagan.
After making the finals in his first year in the top grade, the 24-year-old has been part of a disastrous St George Illawarra outfit, finishing in the bottom-four twice and failing to reach the finals for five-straight seasons.
Lomax burst onto the scene as one of the brightest young talents in the NRL, but found himself in reserve grade mid-way through 2023 under former coach Anthony Griffin, who was sacked after a string of poor results.
Heading into the pre-season under Flanagan, there is now a renewed feeling of positivity down in Wollongong, with the Red V hopeful of putting all the pieces together and returning to the promised land.
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Zac Lomax reveals Dragons mentality under Shane Flanagan
In a recent interview with former teammate James Graham on The Bye Round, Lomax explained a change in mentality at the Saints and their desire to right the wrongs of recent campaigns.
"There’s no answers, but I know it starts with hard work," he said.
"It can only be a positive and there obviously needs to be a fair bit of change there. Flanno is coming in and implementing a lot of that at the moment and I’m real confident that we’re gonna have a big season.
“I look at our roster and there’s so many good players. I think it’s about him instilling belief, but doing it his way.
"Coming in and being the coach at the Dragons, it comes with so much external pressure… whatever it is, us as players and from a leadership point of view, we’ve just got to buy into it and do whatever it takes.
"I’ve pretty much walked into a finals team when I debuted and it was the best feeling ever. Since then, we’ve won f**k all to be honest. Flanno gets it, he understands it, he’s experienced, he’s had success and we’ve got to buy into it.
"I’m backing him 100 per cent and as a leadership group, we’ve got to instil it. I know we’re not far off and I stand by that and I’m confident that we’re gonna have a big season."
Lomax would also reveal he would attend pre-season training with the remainder of the group from November 1st alongside the likes of Blake Lawrie and Jaydn Su'A, despite having a later return date as senior players.
Flanagan's arrival will set in motion some major changes for the club, including more training sessions at their Kogarah home base and a hard-line approach to relationships on and off the field.
"Not everyone is mates, not everyone gets along like a house on fire, but you’re teammates and you learn to respect each other and play for each other," Lomax said.
“Back then when Mary [Paul McGregor] was the coach, I got along really well with Flanno and I still do. I just love his willingness to educate his players all the time and he’s a real strong believer in what he believes in.
"He is straight to the point and he is pretty bullish in what he wants, and I guess you need that in a coach. He’s the kind of person that can give and take a little bit, but he just gets it and he’s had so much success.
"I love his detail around defence and he is so attitude-based, but ball in hand attacking-wise, he loves to play footy on each play and it’s not about structured play."
What position will Zac Lomax play for the Dragons?
While his time in the top grade hit a speed-bump under Griffin, the talented outside back refused to be critical of his former coach's decision-making, instead admitting his axing allowed him to improve as a player and a person.
But with a fresh slate under Flanagan heading into 2024, Lomax is ready to take his game to the next level - regardless of what number is on his back - and cement himself as the club's go-to player in attack.
“I think for me, it’s just knowing what my best game looks like and I feel like if I’m chasing the footy, that’s when I’m playing my best," he said.
"I’m confident in my ability and my preparation... I think knowing that Flanno has backed me to chase the footy and knowing that I can nail my role if he’s given me the licence to be able to do so, I think that helps my game.
"Wherever Flanno wants me to play, I’m willing to play – we have spoken about it and he wants me to do a fair bit of training at fullback... it’s just about bringing me in the game a bit more.
"Ideally, if I could play anywhere, five-eighth would be it… that’s where I’d love to play, that’s my favourite position."
The likely absence of Junior Amone has led to plenty of speculation regarding the No.6 jumper, with the likes of Kyle Flanagan and Paul Turner in the mix to fill the void after the premature departure of Jayden Sullivan.
Lomax would likely be a left-field option in the halves and is more likely to move to fullback, with a potential battle with young gun Tyrell Sloan set to unfold throughout the next few months of training.
The future of Ben Hunt also appears to have settled, despite the Dragons skipper asking for a release, with Flanagan remaining adamant he will remain at the club for the next two years and playing in his favoured halfback position.
