Born: February 2, 1966 – Wellington
Test record: 16 Tests (1993-95, 1997-98) – 0 points
Tours: 1993 tour of Britain and France, 1994 tour of Papua New Guinea, 1995 World Cup

Wainuiomata enforcer John Lomax played 16 Tests for New Zealand during the 1990s – including thre as captain – after emerging as one of the Australian premiership’s best props with Canberra.

One of four brothers (with Arnold, Tony and fellow future Kiwi David) in Wainuiomata’s 1989 WRL grand final-winning team, Lomax starred in the club’s back-to-back triumph and national Lion Red Cup competition success in 1990.

In the latter season, the 24-year-old also played against Great Britain three times, for Wellington, Kiwi Colts and New Zealand Māori, while he had an off-season stint in England with Workington in 1991-92.

After representing New Zealand Māori again at the 1992 Pacific Cup, Lomax joined Winfield Cup heavyweights Canberra Raiders in 1993, stiffening up their pack along with fellow New Zealand recruit Quentin Pongia.

The rugged front-rower came off the bench in all three mid-season Tests against Australia in 1993 and was an automatic selection for the Kiwis’ tour of Britain and France at the end of the year. He featured in all five Tests against Wales, Great Britain and France.

Lomax was sent off for a high tackle in the Raiders’ 1994 preliminary final win over North Sydney Bears and subsequently suspended, ruling him out of their grand final victory. Consolation came in the form of being named the club’s Player of the Year, before starting in both Tests on the Kiwis’ tour of Papua New Guinea.

He was installed as New Zealand’s captain for the mid-1995 series against France and led the Kiwis in the series opener against Australia, but a knee injury suffered in the early stages of the latter match sidelined him for two months.

Vice-captain of the World Cup squad at the end of the year, Lomax was sent off in a warm-up match in Auckland against a President’s XIII and rubbed out of the opener against Tonga. He returned for the epic extra-time semi-final lost to Australia.

Lomax’s last season at Canberra, 1996, was marred by send-offs and suspension, while he missed the Kiwis’ end-of-year schedule. Joining North Queensland Cowboys in 1997 along with Raiders coach Tim Sheens, his last two appearances for the Kiwis were trans-Tasman triumphs: the 30-12 win over Super League Australia in 1997 and the 22-16 boilover against the first full-strength Kangaroos team in four years in early-1998 – though a neck injury ended his night in the opening minute of the latter.

A regular captain and Player of the Year for the Cowboys in 1998, a final-round suspension for a high tackle prevented Lomax from playing for the Kiwis against Australia and Great Britain at the end of the season. He played just eight games for the struggling Cowboys in 1999 and only three for Melbourne Storm after joining the defending premiers in 2000, after which he retired.