In the wake of Zac Lomax’s contract saga coming to an end, one positive has become clear — “faith in the NRL’s contract system” has been restored.
Lomax settled his legal battle with the Eels on Tuesday, agreeing he would not return to the NRL before the 2028 season without their consent, as per the terms of his release.
The Storm were hopeful of recruiting Lomax, but negotiations soured before a court battle began — which ultimately cost Melbourne $250,000 in legal fees paid to the Eels.
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In the end, Parramatta and Melbourne powerbrokers were unable to strike a deal and the Storm didn’t get their man, which is a “win” according to Fox League’s Paul Crawley.
“You know what it’s a win for? It’s a win in restoring some faith in the NRL’s contract system,” Crawley said on NRL360 on Tuesday night.
“Because Parramatta had a contract with Zac Lomax, he wanted to get out, they sat down and agreed to terms. He couldn’t then stand by it.”
Eels forward Ryan Matterson was also caught in the legal crossfire, with the Storm agreeing to sign him in a bid to secure Lomax’s transfer and take on the remainder of his $410,000 salary.
However, he blocked a move to Melbourne and as such, Lomax’s move fell over — a decision he has every right to make according to Crawley.
“Ryan Matterson, who has been caught up in this, not of his own doing had every right to stand his ground and do what he did,” he said.
“For the Parramatta administration, this is a club that for decades has lacked leadership, and Matthew Beach and Jim Sarantinos deserve so much credit for doing the right thing by their club, by their football team and by the game.”
At the end of the court case, the Eels’ release terms remain in place after not being able to negotiate sufficient compensation for losing their star winger.
According to The Daily Telegraph’s David Riccio, there’s been no winners when asked if Parramatta have come away from the situation victorious.
“Where? What have they got to show for it,” he asked.
To which NRL360 host Braith Anasta replied: “respect, dignity, credibility. They have stuck to their guns”.
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“They are down an Origin player, they are currently down an Origin player,” Riccio responded.
“That’s what they wanted, they wanted a player.”
Rugby league legend Gorden Tallis then hit back with a statement that shows the Eels’ ambitions as a finals contender.
“Why would you give an Origin player to a club that has played in 10 grand finals… that’s the loss,” Tallis said.
Anasta echoed his opinion, saying: “That would have been a loss… they are happy to honour the contract, they didn’t want to take a second tier player from Melbourne.
“They didn’t want to give Melbourne a loaded gun with one of their best players who decided to walk out on them, to compete against them not only in Round 1 but as premiership threats.
“Parramatta look great at the moment, I love what they’re doing. A lot of what they’re doing on the field has to do with what they are doing off it and the stance they are taking.
“The coach they have hired and they are backing themselves, that to me says a lot to the playing group as well.
“Knowing that ‘you know what? You want to play with us, you play with us’.”
Anasta went on to raise another interesting point regarding R360, the competition Lomax initially was hopeful of signing up to as a marquee player.
Speaking of his own experience as Cameron Munster’s agent, he revealed R360 representatives had approached him regarding a potential switch to the rebel rugby comp.
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Lomax’s management, meanwhile, took that risk and have come away with a “duck egg” after being lured away from the NRL by a “pie in the sky” according to Tallis.
“When R360 came up, I (got phone calls) from a third party about Cameron. As an agent, advisor, mentor, you’ve got to look at it,” Anasta explained.
“There is no competition, there is no competition as yet. Any guarantee of money, it’s a huge risk, rolling the dice.
“There needs to be some accountability taken by him and his team here, I would never put my player in a position like that. That’s not having a direct crack at them.
“But if you peel it all back, it was high risk from the get go. There was nothing there and Peter V’landys said it himself.
“There was a risk of your playing not returning for 10 years, and you’re happy with that? You’re gambling, they went all in and they got a duck egg.”
Crawley also added: “What we do know is that he either ignored good advice of he took bad advice, so where this goes from here will be interesting to watch.”
However, Lomax could still land at an NRL club and Anasta is predicting it could come sooner rather than later.
“He will be back within six to eight months, he will be with another team if not the Melbourne Storm if they can release a player of a higher calibre,” Anasta said.
