The PNG Chiefs have tabled code-hopping star Zac Lomax a multi-year deal to lure the former NSW State of Origin winger back to rugby league in 2028.
Lomax, who joined Super Rugby’s Western Force this year and is targeting a Wallabies World Cup berth next season, is being targeted as a marquee player for the Chiefs inaugural season in the NRL.
The 26-year-old has met with PNG officials and informed sources have indicated that at least a two-year deal has been discussed. Both parties are also open to a longer agreement.
Lomax is yet to visit Port Moresby and the Chiefs planned resort-style accommodation to house players and staff, but he has travelled to the Pacific nation at least twice before to play for the Australian PM’s XIII.
News of Lomax’s targeting by the Chiefs came to light in PNG media on Wednesday as the cross-code star confirmed he would be seeing out his two-year deal with the Force, having knocked back a chance to return to the NRL with the Storm in 2027.
Melbourne had raised the prospect of Parramatta granting permission for Lomax to sign with the Storm – he cannot play for a rival club without the Eels consent as per a Supreme Court order earlier this year, given the Eels are keen to sign centre Jack Howarth for next season.
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NRL look after their hard done by golden boy. But makes sense, play a World Cup, go to PNG for a year or two earn insane money then come back and play wherever he wants again.
Funny how two year deals are all PNG does. That ain't them doing it either, it's the players. They want the money to get the you know what out of there as soon as they can.
How absolutely crazy is the Eels front office. Spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in court to stop Lomax going to Melbourne and now alls good....Honestly SMH
Didn't Melbourne have to pay our legals?
It's gonna be funny if by 2028 the Albanese government get voted out, and this tax concession png are getting gets taken away. Lomax ends up with 400k taxed and has to live in PNG ahah
The tax concession is from the png government not Australian, the players will be living their so fall under png tax.
I stand corrected.
Exempt Employment IncomeTax-Free Salary: Core base salaries paid by the franchise are officially exempt from Australian income tax.Take-Home Differential: An Australian player earning a normal $1,000,000 NRL salary pays roughly $436,000 in income tax and $20,000 for the Medicare levy, pocketing $544,000. A PNG Chiefs player takes home the full $1,000,000 cash in the bank.Exemption Period: This specific legislative exemption is secured to remain in place for at least 10 years.
JC, the PNG gov't has made NRL salaries tax exempt, but Australian residency laws mean you fulfill just one of the four conditions and you're a resident for tax purposes. This mean NRL income earned in PNG could be taxed in AUS if the player was still categorized as a resident. Labor passed a bill that included exempting income for PNG players even if they still qualify for residency in AUS. So the tax break comes from each government, in the end.
Where it will get interesting is when the liar gets fired and the new gov pull any ongoing financial support from this ridiculous 3rd world NRL team that Albokini has promised.
Thats if he isn't arrested earlier than the elections .
This NRL team is one that's a stupid idea . They will not be able to support themselves without the Aussie taxpayer chipping in
LOL, all the bigots adopting MAGA style 'fire the liar' and 'arrest them'. Going MAGA saw the LNP lose in a landslide (ALP 94/150 seats). Keep it up, total losing strategy by losers.
Wow no need to wig out. We are talking about PNG and loosely referencing politics due to the taxpayer paying for a new team. You love AnAL ( ANthony ALbo ) , we get it.
go start a politics thread since you've had to drop two comments now about RaCiSts and BiGoTs trying to steer it into a political shitfight. Nobody came in calling you names champion.
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