Jonny Lomax played through persistent injury that cast doubt on future to win Grand Final

Jonny Lomax has turned back the clock to the dark days of his early Rugby League career when he was on the brink of quitting the sport he loved due to a set of serious injuries which included concussion as a junior and three ACL operations.

Speaking after he had helped St Helens mastermind a 24-12 victory over Leeds Rhinos in the Grand Final, which was staged at Old Trafford on Saturday night, the 32-year-old half back admitted he was in so much pain at the time that his future was in the melting pot.

But he says due to the encouragement of his family, team-mates and the club management he decided to soldier on and in his own words has ‘never regretted it’.

At the same time he has also been playing since April with a troublesome bicep problem which could rule out his World Cup dreams next month.

But Jack Welsby made it clear he wants his team-mate alongside him on the international stage The versatile Welsby said: “We tend to forget that Jonny has had a bicep problem since round 11 but I’m confident he will play in the World Cup because he is that kind of player.”

🏉One Saints player who is unlikely to forget the final in a hurry is second rower Curtis Sironen, son of the Aussie legend Paul Sironen.

“I was so nervous that I was sick in the sheds before the game and that hasn’t happened to me before, “said the former Manly Sea Eagles player.

“Unfortunately, my family couldn’t be here but the final was everything I expected and so surreal.”