Zac Lomax has signed with the Western Force and Rugby Australia on a two-year deal, effective immediately. The NSW Origin winger's move to Perth represents the final act in a legal saga that began last November whenParramatta announced that Lomax was released from the remainder of his four year contract to pursue other opportunities outside of the NRL.
What nobody predicted then was how messy the path forward would become. Lomax had his sights set on the R360 rebel rugby league competition until December, when that competitionrevealed in December it had been forced to delay its start until 2028. Suddenly, a star player was stranded without a destination. He turned his attention to Melbourne, hoping the Storm could negotiate a release from Parramatta. Instead,the Storm were forced to cough up $250,000 in legal fees and Lomax's NRL lock-out was reduced by only one year to the end of 2027.
That court decision, handed down on 3 March, appeared to shut every door. But Lomax moved quickly.One week after being denied a return to the NRL, Lomax has now officially linked with the WA outfit for the rest of the 2026 season as well as next year.
The financials make this a humbling shift.Australia's Super Rugby Pacific salary cap is just under half of the NRL's, meaning player salaries do not compare well across the codes. The most an Australian player can earn in Super Rugby is around $250,000.Court documents in that case also revealed he had received an initial offer from Rugby Australia last December that was below the $700,000 a year he was receiving at Parramatta. A revised offer from Rugby Australia four days later also fell below the mark.
Yet Lomax's appetite for rugby is genuine.Before turning to rugby league, Lomax made the NSW under 12 rugby union team, giving him a foundation in the 15-a-side game.Lomax will link up with the team in Perth after they return to Western Australia following this week's clash with the Hurricanes, set to be available for their Round Seven match against the Chiefs on March 28.
The real prize on Lomax's horizon is not Perth glory but a Wallabies cap.That will allow him enough time to attempt to crack the Australian squad for next year's home Rugby World Cup, before a return to rugby league is allowed in 2028. If he can crack Wallabies selection, he will join a growing contingency making the cross-code switch.Fellow Australian stars Angus Crichton (NSW Waratahs) and Mark Nawaqanitawase (Saitama Wild Knights) also set to make the switch to the 15-a-side game.
Lomax's talent is not in question.The 26-year-old joins from rugby league club Parramatta Eels after 133 appearances in the NRL, along with representing NSW and Australia at representative level."Zac is a superb athlete with a proven track record at representative level in rugby league and we believe he has the talent and drive to make a successful transition to rugby," RA CEO Phil Waugh said. "Zac brings a unique set of experiences and skills to our environment and is motivated by the challenge of competing on the global stage."
For the NRL, this represents a loss. The code invested in developing Lomax, who earned Origin selection in 2024 and appeared for Australia. Now that talent will sharpen itself against rugby's best until the 2028 season, when the contractual noose around his neck finally loosens and he can return if he wishes.