Zac Lomax’s audacious bid to join Melbourne has been blocked after the star winger agreed his NRL fate would remain in the hands of former club Parramatta for two years.
In a shock end to the NRL’s biggest off-season saga, the Storm and Eels reached an out-of-court settlement on Tuesday that gives Parramatta the power to determine whether he can return to the NRL before 2028.
The Storm will be required to pay $250,000 in legal costs to Parramatta over their failed bid to lure Lomax, who had agreed not to sign with an NRL rival when the Eels released him to join R360 in 2025.
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When the launch of the renegade rugby competition was postponed, Lomax began advances to join the Storm, triggering the Eels’ legal action in the NSW Supreme Court.
But the parties agreed the deal before the launch of a full-scale hearing, which was due to start on Monday.
Lomax, who did not attend court on Tuesday, will at least be permitted to return to the NRL for the 2028 season, which would’ve been the last year of his Eels deal.
“The legal case was never about preventing Zac from returning to the NRL. It was about ensuring that the terms of Zac’s release, which Zac agreed to after seeking legal advice, were adhered to,” Parramatta Eels Chairman Matthew Beach said.
“As I have said before, contracts are an important part of the NRL as they are for every member of the community.
“The consent order made by the Court order confirms that the restraint that Zac agreed to when he signed the Deed of Release will have legal effect. A key term of the restraint was the requirement to obtain the written consent of the Eels before Zac could sign with another NRL club.
“We would like to thank our legal team led by Arthur Moses SC, Liam Meahger and the team at Workplace Law for their guidance and advice throughout this process.
“We were always willing to consider a deal that would strengthen our football program. After trying for over two months, we were unable to reach an agreement with the Storm.
“We believe that Zac is a good young man and we are willing to work with him and his agent, in an open and transparent manner, to explore ways that we can reach an agreement where Zac can return to the NRL.
“While this period has presented some unique challenges, we felt strongly about standing up for what we believed to be right, and we appreciate the passion, unity and alignment we have seen from our members, fans, sponsors and everyone within the Club.”
More to come …
