LOMAX IN MIX

JONNY LOMAX is happy to be St Helens’ jack of all trades if it helps them reach the Grand Final.

Lomax was Saints’ first-choice full-back until Ben Barba resumed his career after serving a 12-month cocaine ban.

He was then switched to standoff for the derby defeat to Wigan with coach Justin Holbrook unable to settle on his first-choice half-back combination.

His latest move took Lomax to centre for Thursday night’s Super 8s win at Wakefield with Australian Ryan Morgan a late withdrawal.

The 27-year-old scored Saints’ equalising late try, allowing Mark Percival to complete an 1816 triumph with his conversion.

Difficult

“It’s a different game,” said Lomax. “You don’t get a lot of the ball.

“But when we lost Ryan on the morning of the game, you do what is best for the team.

“It’s difficult because I have not trained there at all. I was thrown in at the deep end.

“It’s not ideal but it’s what you have to do. We are professional sportsmen – crack on and try to do your best for the team.”

Despite the last-gasp win, Saints must beat Huddersfield next Friday and Salford in a rearranged game on September 21 to have a chance of making next month’s final. “It was do or ® die against Wakey and we had to come away with the points,” added Lomax.

“On a greasy Thursday night it is not ideal. Sometimes, though, it doesn’t matter how you get them.

“We know we will have to improve but the goal was the two points and we are still in the hunt. And it was the old never-say-die Saints.”

Wakefield were consoling fullback Scott Grix for his costly late error that allowed Saints to claim the comeback win.

Grix, 33, dithered as Percival’s kick rolled towards his own try line before being beaten to the touch.

Liam Finn, who saw two kicks hit the woodwork, said: “Scott’s hurting and I am disappointed I missed the kick.

“He’s done a heck of a lot of good stuff for us this year. He has won us more points than he has lost us.

“He needs to get his head up again because he has been outstanding.

“Besides, we would have given our right hand to be in these games at the start of the season.

“So we have got to learn fast and take the positives into the Hull game (on Thursday).

“We think we have been good at reacting this season. We are hurting about the result but we are still in the mix.

“If you play sport, you are going to have to deal with some kind of adversity.”