![\"NRL](\"https:\/\/vms-network-images-prod.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/2021\/03\/346497\/pickerImage.jpg\")
<\/p>\nSt George Illawarra centre Zac Lomax has given a ringing endorsement of his new skipper Ben Hunt, saying there was nobody else who should be leading the team in 2021.<\/p>\n
"I don't think there's anyone more deserving," Lomax told Wide World of Sports.<\/p>\n
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The Dragons will kick-off their season next Sunday against the Sharks, in Hunt's first game as the new captain.<\/p>\n
It's an appointment that has attracted criticism, with Anthony Griffin choosing to give the $1.2 million-a-season star more responsibility despite a perception that he is not a natural leader and has failed to live up to his lofty price tag since arriving at the Dragons three years ago.<\/p>\n
"You go and make a guy, who looked like he struggled with the pressure, captain when he seems to have struggled," Fox Sports commentator Michael Ennis said recently. <\/p>\n
"[He] played his best footy when he came off the bench, out of the limelight and being able to just play footy. Or [his best footy is] at dummy half where he doesn't have to control the game plan, he can just play reaction footy and that's what Ben Hunt is great at."<\/p>\n
Yet that criticism is at odds with the Dragons players, with Lomax making a convincing case for why Hunt has got the 'c' next to his name.<\/p>\n
"He's the most-experienced at the club and he's one of our best players. He cares so much about the team and his own performances and I'm sure he's going to have a big season. We as players and teammates have to do our best to support him," Lomax said.<\/p>\n
The Dragons' Round One match will be a first hit-out for new signing Jack Bird, who Lomax highlighted as a standout among the new recruits at training so far.<\/p>\n
"He's been unreal. He's one of the best players in the comp once he's fit and I don't think it's going to take him long to get there," Lomax said.<\/p>\n
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"You've all seen what he can do – I think he won a comp at 19 and he wasn't just there filling a number, he was one of their best players."<\/p>\n
Bird has struggled with fitness since leaving Cronulla for the Brisbane Broncos, where he played just 17 games in three years.<\/p>\n
"If we can get him at his best he's going to be a major attribute for us," Lomax said.<\/p>\n
"We've been working together pretty well, but the best thing about him is that you can put him at hooker, five-eighth, in the forwards and he'll do a job for you."\u00a0<\/p>\n
MORE NRL NEWS:<\/strong> Brother's incredible sacrifice driving NRL star<\/a><\/p>\n In terms of their on-field product, Lomax said that the edict from new coach Griffin has been simple – concentrate on the basics, and good things will come.<\/p>\n "He just strips it back a fair bit. He's very simple in the way that he says things, he gets them across pretty easy," he said.<\/p>\n "And no disrespect to other coaches, but they've got different philosophies and work in different ways."<\/p>\n The Dragons will be desperate to improve after a disastrous 2020 campaign, but Lomax said there haven't been any make-or-break targets set for them yet.<\/p>\n "There's been nothing set in stone. He's just instilled some belief in us, and that's what you want. I think that's the main thing you want from your coach, to put confidence in you.<\/p>\n "I'm confident that leading into round one we're going to be well prepared."<\/p>\n But with many pre-season predictions giving the Dragons no shot at the finals, and among the favourites for the spoon at most betting agencies, are the team relishing the underdogs tag?<\/p>\n "Absolutely. I think it's good that we don't have that pressure on us. We see ourselves as a team to beat and I feel like we're building towards that – but we're all sitting equal-first at the moment," Lomax said.<\/p>\n For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by<\/strong><\/em> clicking here!<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"