Hurricanes and All Blacks prop Tyrel Lomax sits down with Adam Cooper

All Blacks prop Tyrel Lomax has extended his time with New Zealand Rugby for another three years.

Despite reported overseas interest in the 48-test tighthead, Lomax has recommitted to the All Blacks, Hurricanes and Tasman to the end of 2029.

With a World Cup next year, and Lions tour in 2029, the 30-year-old told Newstalk ZB's Adam Cooper he had no reason to up sticks.

Lomax also discussed his recent frustrating run of injuries, taking to the field just twice since last September.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
My family, and I've loved being a Willington. I'm a
Wellington boy, got two daughters here. They go to cor
Hunger and yeah, this is I guess where we've set
up a life and I love playing for the Hurricane.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
So yeah, imagine it's been a pretty frustrating stint on
the sidelines for you this year. How nice was it
sort of closing that out with forty minutes at the weekend.

Speaker 1 (00:19):
He was also a little bit nervous gone into that game.
It's sort of felt like I'd been forever, but, like
you said, a pretty frustrating sort of year for me.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
But he was just happy to get back on the field,
happy with the forty minutes.

Speaker 3 (00:31):
Yeah. We obviously didn't play too well against the Crusaders.

Speaker 1 (00:34):
They are a pretty tough side, But personally, yeah, I
was pretty happy, happy to get through forty minutes, happy
to sort of come are well with it.

Speaker 2 (00:39):
Yeah, with such a long stint on the sidelines, how
do you sort of re engage the mind for being
back out on the field, because it was quite a
long absence, wasn't it.

Speaker 1 (00:46):
Yeah, Yeah, I guess I was a little bit easy, Like,
I was quite excited to get back out there and
sort of had a pretty good training block.

Speaker 3 (00:53):
This last injury.

Speaker 1 (00:54):
I guess I'd had a couple back to back, so
I sort of knew what to expect this last one.
So I really enjoyed the process of getting my body right,
getting my ankle right. I feel like I came back
in a pretty good condition, and yeah, I was just
really excited to get back out there.

Speaker 2 (01:07):
A few surgeries, a couple of different injuries as well.
What was the hardest part of the whole process, I
guess from sort of late last year into this year
around getting back out on the field and being fit
ready to go.

Speaker 3 (01:17):
Yeah, I guess that a little bit different. You know.

Speaker 1 (01:20):
I sort of probably rushed my first my thumb, probably
came back a little bit too early, paid the price
for that, you know, broke it again and had to
have a really like an extended sort of break on
the sidelines.

Speaker 3 (01:31):
So really did it heal that time?

Speaker 1 (01:34):
And then yeah, sort of came back after a pretty
good preseason, the first time I've done a preseason in
pretty much eight years. So I enjoyed that, enjoyed being
around some of the newer boys, enjoyed a preseason, you know,
like I said it'd been a while, came back and
obviously had another injury, So yeah, my mind set probably shifted,
like I'd sort of known what to expect this last injury.

(01:56):
So I just, like I said, I just really enjoyed
the process, really enjoyed trying to see what I could
get out of my body, what sort of condition I
could come back in.

Speaker 2 (02:03):
Might have been a time where you probably felt you
oda to the team to get back as soon as
you could. But seeing Pussy perform in the jersey this
year but was like watching him from the sidelines.

Speaker 1 (02:10):
Yeah, I guess that was a good thing. Watching the
boys go so well. I wanted to be out there,
wanted to be contributing, but probably just found other ways
where I could just reviewing, previewing teams, try to step
into like.

Speaker 3 (02:21):
A little bit of a coaching.

Speaker 1 (02:22):
Role, help the team that way. And you're just seeing
some of the boys that seasons out there having Pussy,
like he said, he's just coming and had a awesome year,
same as Seth's like the whole front Rows if it's
been on awesome. So trying to come back in and
you know, do my part to try and stay in
the team's probably my was my biggest challenge.

Speaker 2 (02:42):
Brumbie's always a bit of a bogie team. A few
of you who got connections with Ossie that particular area.
What's what's been so tough about the Brumbies and play
off rugby for the Canes these last few years.

Speaker 1 (02:51):
Yeah, they've been the best side in Australia for a
number of years. They play finals fully, really well. They've
got a really good set piece, a couple of really
good game drivers, good back three and yeah playing it
over in camera. It's this time of year, it's pretty
cold over there, and yeah we get to do it
at home this time, which we're excited about playing in
front of our fans.

Speaker 2 (03:12):
Does the chance of I guess if you lose you
stay in the mix, does that come into any of
your thinking a heat of a game like this or
is it when to get the home advantage semi final final?

Speaker 1 (03:21):
Yes, just trying to win everything from now on, a
like trying to play at home the week after something
that really motivates us. Like I said, we enjoyed playing
in front of our fans, playing in Wellington a year.

Speaker 3 (03:33):
We just want to win everything from now on.

Speaker 2 (03:35):
Just with the injuries and stuff, how you know, is
it affected do you think your your ability to get
set for for all back season yet? Where do you
sort of feel you sit in regards to I guess
tests that are coming up or later in the year too.

Speaker 1 (03:45):
Yeah, I guess being out for so long that's probably
got pushed to the back of my mind. It was
just all about getting back on the field and like
I said, trying to come back in and play good
enough rugby. So I get selected for the Hurricanes because
like I said, the front row has been going awesome. Yeah,
so that all blacks, I guess that's a few weeks away.
I'm just fully concentrated on trying to do my part

(04:07):
for the finals and just in terms of this weekend obviously,
as we mentioned for forty so minutes at the weekend,
where where is the body at to offer a contribution
in terms of minutes wise for this weekend and going
forward in these playoffs, do you think, yeah, good to
go just wherever the coaches see on you know see
For me, yeah, I was pretty happy to get through
forty minutes, felt good, getting around the field felt good,

(04:27):
and the set piece, so yeah, just trying to do
my part for the team.

Speaker 2 (04:31):
You've been part of a lot of Hurricanes teams over
the years. Is there something sort of specially unique about
this one? Obviously where it is on the table signifies
a very strong competitive team. What we're seeing on the
field has been very impressive this year as well. Where
does this sort of group of players sit with past
groups in this club?

Speaker 1 (04:46):
Yeah, I guess the good thing about this year is
a lot of us have been together for a while now.
You know, some of the boys have been here my
whole Hurricane career, and we've grown together, gotten close over
the last couple of years, went through a bit of heartbreak,
like you said, against the Brumbies. So I just think
we've been a group that's really matured together over the
last few years.

Speaker 3 (05:05):
Nice send.

Speaker 2 (05:05):
Just yeah, just any final thoughts for the for the
fans I guess that are coming along this weekend and
support you finally get to see a Brumby's QUTER final
at home rather than watching it late night from Canberra.

Speaker 3 (05:14):
Yeah. I like to hear tables that turn a little bit.

Speaker 1 (05:16):
I guess we give them at you know, our home stadium,
So I like to think that's going to play a
little bit into our favor. And you were just enjoyed
every chance that we get to play in front of
our fans.

Speaker 2 (05:26):
Awesome to see you back on the field, Mat, Thanks
for chatting, Thanks cheers.

Speaker 3 (05:29):
For more from News Talk, said B.

Speaker 2 (05:31):
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