to be playing for the Melbourne Storm in the NRL until legal proceedings blocked any potential move<\/a>.<\/p>\nBut watching his movements around Lang Park at the weekend, you get the impression he has ‘bought in’ at the Force.<\/p>\n
Lomax was often seen encouraging the Force players, such as when he was the last one waiting for Ben Donaldson to finish a half-time TV interview on the field, before giving his new teammate a fist bump.<\/p>\n
Cron has spoken about Lomax’s professionalism, which is hardly surprising given the heights he reached in the NRL.<\/p>\n
On talent alone, there is no reason why Lomax cannot make a successful transition to rugby. What is unclear is whether he can adapt to the technical intricacies of the 15-a-side game.<\/p>\n
Having Cron and the likes of Kurtley Beale in his corner will help immensely with this process.<\/p>\n
Cron’s input will be crucial as he has coached in professional, club and junior environments, giving the New Zealander vast experience in developing talent at various levels.<\/p>\n
Lomax can only benefit from this.<\/p>\n
Donaldson shines for Force<\/h2>\n If the Force could bottle what they produced against the Reds, a finals appearance would be achievable.<\/p>\n
Reaching the play-offs is not out of reach for the Force, but the task is difficult with only two wins from seven matches so far this season.<\/p>\n
Mac Grealy’s try late in the first half was among the best seen in the competition, while Argentina international Franco Molina’s hat-trick overshadowed how well he played outside of his display in attack.<\/p>\n\n\n
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\nForce playmaker Ben Donaldson had the ball on a string against the Reds. (AAP Image: Pat Hoelscher<\/span>)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\nOrchestrating the Force’s performance was fly half Donaldson, whose game management was superb.<\/p>\n
He ran the Force’s attack with confidence and his individual touches \u2014 such as the cross-field kick for Lancaster’s second-half try \u2014 illustrated his skill range.<\/p>\n
In the battle of the fly halves, Donaldson took the points over Carter Gordon, but the Queenslander looked underdone after missing three matches through injury.<\/p>\n
Donaldson’s challenge is to reproduce his Super Rugby Pacific form at the Test level, as he has struggled when wearing the Wallabies’ number 10 jersey.<\/p>\n
Time will tell whether he gets the chance later this year, although incoming Wallabies coach Les Kiss surely would have taken note while watching on in Brisbane as Reds boss.<\/p>\n
Tahs brought back to reality<\/h2>\n After climbing a mountain by defeating the ACT Brumbies on their home deck in Canberra, the Waratahs landed with a thud a week later.<\/p>\n
They were outclassed in a 42-14 loss to the Chiefs in Hamilton on Saturday, the result leaving them in seventh place on the standings with a 3-4 (win-loss) record.<\/p>\n
The keystone of their 30-28 triumph over the Brumbies was execution on both sides of the ball, but this aspect was largely lacking against the Chiefs.<\/p>\n\n\n
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\nThe Chiefs had the Waratahs on the back foot throughout the match. (Getty Images: Phil Walter<\/span>)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\nThey leaked six tries, having been unable to cope with the attacking pressure the Chiefs built, while the scrum was dominated by the home side.<\/p>\n
Discipline was an issue \u2014 the Waratahs gave away the opening five penalties of the match \u2014 and they wasted opportunities with the ball in hand.<\/p>\n
The two tries they scored, through Sid Harvey and Pete Samu, showed what the Waratahs can do when they respect possession and show patience in attack.<\/p>\n
A shining light in a losing effort, though, was the performance of winger Max Jorgensen.<\/p>\n
Jorgensen’s brilliant cover tackle on Emoni Narawa saved a certain try in the first half, and his quick thinking paid off with the long ball he threw to an unmarked Harvey to score a five-pointer out wide.<\/p>\n
If a Wallabies squad was selected this week, Jorgensen would deserve to be first picked.<\/p>\n
Harvey’s tough night at the office<\/h2>\n In the wake of his side’s win over the Brumbies in round seven, Waratahs coach Dan McKellar offered sage advice about heaping expectation on the young shoulders of Harvey.<\/p>\n
The 20-year-old had just helped the visitors record their first victory in the national capital since 2018.<\/p>\n
“We’ve just got to let him [Harvey] develop and become a really good Super Rugby player first, and higher accolades will come off the back of that,” McKellar told Stand Sport.<\/p>\n\n\n
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\nSid Harvey (left) will learn a great deal from his trip across the Tasman. (Getty Images: Phil Walter<\/span>)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\nAlthough he scored the first Waratahs try against the Chiefs, Harvey endured a torrid evening at fullback.<\/p>\n
He fumbled a kick reception close to the goal line that led to the Chiefs’ opening try, and struggled under the high ball for much of the match.<\/p>\n
It would be harsh to cite his failure to stop a bulldozing Quinn Tupaea late in the first half as a blemish, as few players would have avoided being bumped off by the Chiefs centre.<\/p>\n
Harvey’s first experience of a Super Rugby Pacific match in New Zealand will only serve as a positive, however, as he will learn from any mistakes he made.<\/p>\n
The Narrabri High School product has enormous potential, but as McKellar pointed out, he needs to be given time to develop.<\/p>\n
Hooper’s future in England<\/h2>\n Tom Hooper has been impressive for Exeter Chiefs in his first season in the English Premiership.<\/p>\n
An MCL strain in late January halted Hooper’s progress, but the 25-year-old has been a solid performer for the Chiefs since returning to the field last month.<\/p>\n
He played blindside flanker in their 31-21 win over Munster over the weekend, the result securing a berth in the EPCR Challenge Cup quarterfinals.<\/p>\n\n\n
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\nTom Hooper has been impressing the right judges in England. (Getty Images\/CameraSport: Bob Bradford<\/span>)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\nHooper is enjoying his time in England and has suggested he wants to extend his two-year contract with the Chiefs.<\/p>\n
“If I’m over here and I still feel like I’m being challenged as an athlete and as a person, and I’m still growing in those areas, then this is the best place for me,” Hooper told BBC Sport two weeks ago.<\/p>\n
“So if I see that this environment is indicative of that, then I’ll definitely be staying in Devon because that’s what’s best for me.”<\/p>\n
Exeter’s director of rugby, Rob Baxter, has also indicated he wants Hooper to stay put.<\/p>\n
Hooper is still available for Wallabies selection, but a contract extension will push back any potential Super Rugby Pacific return date.<\/p>\n
He was one of the Brumbies’ best in 2025, and RA needs as many world-class players as possible plying their trade on the domestic scene to make its four teams competitive.<\/p>\n
This is not a criticism of Hooper’s decision to move overseas, rather an observation of the hurdle RA faces in keeping players in Australia.<\/p>\n
Still, playing in the forward-dominated environments of England and Europe will clearly help Hooper develop his craft, which is a positive for the Wallabies.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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