St Helens interim coach Eamon O’Carroll has argued that club veteran Jonny Lomax will make an ‘outstanding coach’ with the injured playmaker already occupying that role in some format, amid the recent exit of Paul Rowley.
With Rowley leaving his berth as head coach, it meant that assistant O’Carroll has stepped into the interim role and that saw Jonny Lomax utilised as the man to run messages on last week in a role similar to what numerous assistant coaches across Super League do.
Speaking to Serious About Rugby League earlier in the week, Eamon O’Carroll revealed that Lomax was the ‘standout’ currently in terms of players stepping up amidst the turmoil.
“We tend to just think of the players that are involved on a game day but Jonny Lomax, I would say, is standout at the moment,” O’Carroll revealed.
“I think there’s been a fair bit of talk about him and the impact that he would have had during that derby on Friday so he’s been fantastic, as all captains or ex-captains would be, with the way that he’s leading.
“He’s certainly helping the staff and if someone when they speak to you, you want to listen to so his input in the group has been fantastic.”
Ex-St Helens skipper Lomax’s impact revealed
O’Carroll confirmed that Lomax’s role has not specifically changed, referring to the 35-year-old as an ‘off-field captain’, though he was keen to state how important the former skipper remains to the club.
“We want to give Jonny the best opportunity to play again this year,” O’Carroll admitted, with Lomax currently out due to a fractured jaw.
“His career’s not done, he’s still got an opportunity to play this year so we want to make sure that we’re doing right by him and give him every opportunity to play again.
“What he’s doing is helping us and using his time wisely so when he can, he’ll be involved and that’s more so on a game day.”
What that means is working with O’Carroll and assistant Lee Briers but also leading the players, as O’Carroll confirmed: “I’m speaking to him daily, as I do with Lee as well, and getting his input and getting a feel from someone who’s actually within the group as well but can’t impact it on the field.
“He’s certainly helping us off it so I would still imagine Jonny will feature again this year as a Saints player but the more he speaks to me, the more I see he’s going to make an outstanding coach so I really hope that he goes down that route.”
As for Lomax’s future beyond 2026, given that he is without a deal for 2027, O’Carroll noted: “His current situation is a Saints player and that’s all I’m probably willing to talk about and that’s nothing that will concern me unfortunately.”
