Jonny Lomax calls on role models as he aims to skipper St Helens back to glory

JONNY Lomax is ready to lead St Helens back to glory with the help of former team-mates, legends of other clubs and his family.

For as well as his current colleagues, they will form much of the way he will approach being full-time captain.

And not being defending champions like the previous four seasons may be a good thing as it was a ‘pressure release.’

The stand off has been handed the armband on a permanent basis after the retirement of legend James Roby.

Now as he prepares to do things his way, he will call on his own experiences on and off the field, especially what he went through after suffering a bleed on his brain as a youngster.

As well as hitting the heights with England, going back to the very start at junior club Orrell St James will also form part of his method.

Lomax said: “You learn so much from being around other people. I’ve been around great captains at this club and international level and people offer leadership in different roles, even if they’re not captain.

“I’ve been around some good teachings and learnings. Hopefully, I’ll be able to do them justice and put them across in the right way.

“Sean O’Loughlin stands out, Sam Burgess another, along with James Graham. I can carry on with people like Elliott Whitehead too. In my early years at Saints, I can look at people like Matt Gidley and Sia Soliola – great people with great values and great beliefs.

“And you become a reflection of the people you spend the most time with. Surround yourself with good people, it gives you a good opportunity to have some good values.

“Away from rugby, I had a good grounding from my family, they taught me good lessons from a young age. That helped through the adversities I had by teaching me to keep persevering.

“If you pick the right people to be around, it stands you in good stead.

“I was captain at my junior club and a few of the Town Teams I played in. It’s a bit different from leading a group of men but when you’re in any leadership capacity, it’s based largely on doing the right things.

“Your voice doesn’t have any power if you’re not willing to back it up with the right example. That’s something I’ve always had, I’ve never asked anyone to do something if I’m not prepared to do it myself.

“Otherwise, I’m a hypocrite. That includes the tough stuff.”

Not having Roby on the field is not the only strange feeling that will be around St Helens this season – no longer defending the title will be too.

And Lomax, 33, believes the latter may not necessarily be a bad thing, adding: “We see last year’s semi-final losses as a disappointment, even though we won the World Club Challenge.

“You only remember your last game. You’re only as good as your last game and we fell short.

“But having had time to reflect, had we made it five in a row, we’d only want six and in a weird way, there’s almost a bit of a pressure release, a bit more freedom and a bit more excitement.

“That should see us try to get after it again.  I’m not saying we should change everything as we were only just short.

“But it allows you to have more of a growth mindset, to try new things and have a bit more freedom rather than trying to do exactly the same thing.

“That’s exciting for us and it drives a new hunger.”