After originally quitting the Eels to join R360, contract rebel Zac Lomax then asked if he could return to the Parramatta rugby league outfit once the fledgling rugby competition was delayed through to 2027 or later.
Parramatta and Lomax’s battle over contract exit clauses has been highly publicised heading into the NRL preseason, with technical free agent Lomax eager to join Melbourne for 2026, and the Eels standing very staunch on their key clause that said Lomax couldn’t play for any rugby league outfit without their permission before his ’28 deal ended.
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Both are taking the scrap to the Supreme Court on February 12, where everything about the whole saga should come to light — and in the build-up to that legal battle, it’s been revealed Lomax tried to backflip on the whole situation.
As reported by the SMH, the 26-year-old returned to the Eels and said he’d like to come back for 2026.
That was soon after the rich R360 deal he’d been hoping to pick up was withdrawn alongside the comp’s delays.
Things didn’t end up going that way, however, because the Eels “had no appetite to welcome Lomax back so soon after requesting a release,” with many at the club also suspecting it was a “cynical ploy” that could be used if things made it to the courts.
Well, we’re off to the courts now, which may be why things have come out, and this will be used as one point of leverage as Lomax’s lawyers argue that, should the courts soon find that Lomax’s contract exit clause was indeed binding and Parramatta’s restraint is valid, the Eels have been acting unreasonably and not in good faith in withholding consent or letting him return.
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Also playing a role in the looming legal battle is the fact that Lomax allegedly told Parramatta he didn’t want to play rugby league again and wanted to play international rugby. The idea, many have assumed, is that the 26-year-old would be chasing a spot in the Wallabies squad that would be contesting the 2027 World Cup in Australia this year.
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The Storm may also be drawn into court proceedings, considering they offered the Eels up to $300,000 to take Lomax (which was rejected) and also suggested that they could trade a player for Lomax and Ryan Matterson.
There’s also a chance that, should the Storm be brought in, the case could be delayed until March.
