Mate, if you've been following Zac Lomax's saga over the past few months, you know it's been nothing short of a legal nightmare. The bloke has finally found some peace, signing a two-year deal with the Western Force and Rugby Australia to pursue a rugby union career. After all the court drama with Parramatta, the failed Melbourne Storm move, and the general chaos that followed, Lomax can at least settle into one code and focus on getting better at it.
Look, Lomax called it correctly when he said he was leaving rugby league at his peak. The bloke had 133 NRL games under his belt, represented NSW in State of Origin, and wore the Kangaroos jersey. By any reasonable measure, that's a pretty solid career. But here's the thing about Lomax's decision to walk away: it's been a comedy of errors for everyone involved.
The original plan was to join R360, a rebel rugby union competition that was supposed to launch in 2025. Parramatta granted him a release to chase that dream, but the deal came with a catch: he couldn't join another NRL club without their written permission. Then R360 got shelved until 2028, leaving Lomax stranded. When he tried to muscle his way into the Melbourne Storm, Parramatta took him to the NSW Supreme Court and won. The legal process dragged on for weeks, costing the Storm enough in legal fees to make anyone's head spin.
Now, there's been plenty of debate in NRL circles about whether Lomax really wanted rugby union all along, or whether it became plan B when his NRL options dried up. The bloke himself addressed that head-on when he faced the media this week. He said rugby's global reach was what attracted him; the travel, the international stage, the chance to play in a World Cup. Whether that's the whole truth or just part of it, well, that's between Lomax and his conscience.
What we do know is that rugby union is a different beast entirely. Lomax will link up with the Force in Perth and could make his Super Rugby debut as early as late March. He's played rugby at school, but that was back in 2015 before he committed fully to league. That's a long time to be away from a code, and there's no question he's got a steep learning curve ahead.
The good news for him is that he'll have support. Players like Sonny Bill Williams and Angus Bell have already made similar transitions, and Lomax says he's been picking their brains. The Force coach Simon Cron sounds genuinely convinced that Lomax will come good. That kind of backing from a club matters, especially when you're starting over.
At the end of the day, Lomax's real target is the Wallabies and a crack at the 2027 Rugby World Cup on home soil. Fellow Australian stars Angus Crichton and Mark Nawaqanitawase are also set to make the switch to the 15-a-side game, so he won't be the only code-hopper trying to make an impact. There's genuine talent in that pipeline, and Rugby Australia clearly believes he can help.
Fair dinkum, though, Lomax's deal comes for significantly less money than he was earning at Parramatta. That says something about how this whole mess has unfolded. He took a financial hit to get out of league and into union. Whether that investment pays off on the field remains to be seen. One thing's for sure: after months of court dates and failed negotiations, at least the man finally knows where he stands.