'He's going to kill it': Leilua thrilled as Lomax Blues prophecy comes true

Dragons back-rower Luciano Leilua is joking when asked about teammate Zac Lomax's maiden Origin selection, but there's an element of truth to it.

Leilua's well-equipped to speak to it having played in Lomax's starting Dragons debut in 2018.

Lomax came into that clash carrying the 'Gifted One' tag bestowed on him - for better or worse - by his former NSW Under 18s coach Brad Fittler a year earlier when the Temora product booted the Blues to a 35-28 win over Queensland with a go-ahead field goal and clutch sideline conversion within the final six minutes.

He looked destined to wear the same jumper at senior level when he debuted in the NRL less than a year later, but the more than 100-game ride to that prophecy being fulfilled has proven a bumpy one.

This season has been no exception amid the 24-year-old's well publicised desire to leave the Dragons, something to which the club ultimately acquiesced in releasing him from the final two years of his lucrative contract to link with Parramatta from 2025.

There's some irony in the fact that the saga, and the shift to the wing that played a major role in sparking it, has resulted in a long-awaited Origin debut.

It's something Leilua always expected to see, saying the swirling speculation around Lomax's future hasn't swayed his effort.

"It took him a while, eh," Leilua joked.

"I'm so happy for him, he worked his butt off through preseason. He copped a lot of our spotlight early in his career, which is good and bad, but he's always carried himself well.

"I can't fault him with all the attention he's been getting. He's had to cop it on the chin to play on the wing. I honestly think that's his best position, but he's a centre too and you've got to respect that [desire] as well.

"All the media stuff, he doesn't let that control what happens in here. It hasn't bothered him at all. I'm just happy he's earned his selection this time.

"He deserves it and he's going to kill it."

Michael Maguire's predecessor Fittler had a policy of avoiding selecting players that would carry any contract or media baggage into Blues camp through his tenure at the helm, something his successor has hinted will continue.

There were suggestions the saga surrounding Lomax's future, and his long-term aversion to playing on the wing, could count against him at the selection table, but Maguire told reporters on Monday that both issues were "irrelevant" when it came to handing the 24-year-old his first Blues jumper.

"I think that's probably been built up a fair bit by the outside world but I think he'd play in the front row if he's playing Origin," Maguire said.

"He's one of the form players of the comp, that's the reason we picked him."

While Maguire made a number of huge calls in naming his Blues squad - most notably overlooking incumbent skipper James Tedesco - Maroons counterpart Billy Slater's biggest call resulted in Dragons back-rower Jaydn Su'A returning to the Queensland fold at the expense of David Fifita.

"I just love his habits in his game," Slater said on Monday. "He's one player that's earned this opportunity."

Su'A's form at the Dragons has been enough to earn fresh two-year contract extension, with Leilua adamant his back-row partner has never played better.

"He's been playing out of his skin," Leilua said.

"He's a hundred per cent in career-best form. I think he's just learned that consistency is the key and he's been killing it for us. He's been our best forward.

"I just couldn't be happier for him, from where he's come from with lot of injuries last year, to be fit and him playing good footy really helps us as a club too.

"I'm happy he stayed. I would've have been angry if he left. Obviously good luck to Hunty (Ben Hunt) as well, but it's obviously all [about the] Blues first."