Ex-Eels star Zac Lomax has been criticised for taking a cheap shot at rugby league on the way out after signing a two-year deal with the Western Force and the Wallabies.
Lomax reached a settlement with the Eels in court that would not allow him to return to the NRL until 2028, unless Parramatta got a suitable player swap in return.
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That decision prompted Lomax to give up his hopes of playing for the Melbourne Storm this season and he has since signed a two-year contract worth $400,000 a year to switch codes ahead of the Rugby World Cup on Australian soil in 2027.
The Daily Telegraph’s Brent Read noted a code switch was inevitable once the court ruled in favour of the Eels, who were unable to reach an agreement with the Storm for a player swap.
“Not entirely unexpected because he didn’t really have a home in Rugby League,” Read said on NRL 360.
“I mean, the door was closed on him effectively because no other clubs wanted him apart from Melbourne, so it’s not a surprise he’s going to Rugby Union.
“I think this was always expected to happen once the court case was settled. Western Force, good luck to him. I think their average crowd’s about 5,000, so that’ll be fun.”
The Daily Telegraph’s Dean Ritchie put it bluntly when summing up the club that Lomax has signed for and believes he will be back in the NRL inside the next two years.
“I think they’re rubbish, to be honest,” Ritchie said of the Western Force.
“They were kicked out a while back. Then Twiggy Forrest threw some money at them to get them to come back in.
“They’re a bit of a rabble. No one seems to know anything about them on the East Coast.
“There’s no way that he will survive two years over there. Zac will be back in Rugby League inside the two years.”
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Lomax chose his words poorly in a statement announcing his “dream” to play for the Wallabies a week after he was hellbent on signing with the Storm.
“The dream of one day representing the Wallabies on a truly international stage and potentially competing at a Rugby World Cup is a powerful motivation,” Lomax said.
Having backed Lomax through his contract saga, Read took issue with his choice of words.
“I think that’s tripe,” Read said.
“This disappoints me because I have backed Zac to an extent through this whole process, but that’s just a shot at Rugby League.
“It may be inadvertent, but you’ve got to be smarter than that. To say a truly international stage, give me a break. You’re leaving the game, go.
“No one backed Zac Lomax more than Peter V’landys in the past three months. No one cares more about international rugby league than Peter V’landys. If I’m Peter V’landys and I see that quote, I’m saying, go. It’s pathetic.”
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Ritchie agreed Lomax took an unnecessary parting shot at Rugby League, the game that has given him everything in his sporting career to date.
“That’s a middle finger to rugby league and that’s a shame on the way out because Zac Lomax had a very, very successful rugby league career,” Ritchie said.
However, Read still feels Lomax joining a rival code is a loss for rugby league and hurts the game.
“I was very open about saying I think he should be back in Rugby League,” Read said.
“I thought Paramatta should have taken the offer. Pettiness, it’s your word. I’m not using that word, pettiness.
“I’m sure people in Melbourne think that way. I think he should be playing Rugby League. I’m disappointed he’s not playing Rugby League.
“We can argue about whether it affects our game or not to lose him. I think every time you lose a star, it takes a little bit of the spotlight off our game to an extent.”
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However, Braith Anasta believes rugby union is the game that has been hurt more by the Lomax situation, given he only joined the rival code when he was out of other options after his R360 deal fell over and then his rugby league career was put on hold.
“I actually think it’s more a blight on rugby union,” Anasta said.
“When you look at it you have got Joseph Suaalii, Angus Crichton, Mark Nawaqanitawase and Zac Lomax, they’re going to walk into the Australian World Cup team.
“You’ve got four guys that have left rugby league and if you put the shoe on the other foot, there’s no rugby union players that could leave rugby union and make the Australian rugby league team. It’s not going to happen.
“It says a lot about where rugby union’s at and where rugby league’s at. I don’t think it’s a bad thing at all.”
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But Read still feels watching an incumbent Blues and Kangaroos star joining a rival code hurts the game of rugby league.
“I think it’s very unfortunate the way it’s happened and I think everyone’s got to accept some blame for that,” Read said.
“It hasn’t decimated rugby league, but I think it hurts our game because every time you take a star away from the game, I think a little bit of the game goes with it.”
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