Parramatta chief executive Jim Sarantinos has urged fans to keep backing the judgment of Jason Ryles after the Eels coach emerged as the key figure in the decision to sever ties with Zac Lomax.
The Eels confirmed on Sunday that they had agreed to release Lomax from the final three years of his contract, with the NSW and Australian winger expected to switch codes and eventually sign with rebel rugby union competition R360.
There have been whispers he will spend time in Japanese rugby before then. He has, however, likely played his last game in the NRL after the Eels decided they were better served spending their money on a player who was fully committed to the club. Ultimately, club bosses made the call in consultation with Ryles.
“He (Lomax) made it clear he wanted to pursue opportunities elsewhere,” Sarantinos said. “There’s obviously been that connection with R360. I really don’t know where that is at. I have no idea. “But he came forward to us and he asked if we would consider releasing him early. The main stakeholder in this is the coach. He’s been pretty decisive and strong around decisions he has made in regards to personnel.”
“I think the view was that if we have a player whose focus may be elsewhere and the opportunities came to exit that situation sooner rather than later, and it gives you an opportunity to strengthen your roster somewhere else, why not do that.”
“It’s not something we have been planning for the long term. But obviously we’ll look internally, we’ll look at who is available and we will look at the balance of the roster.”
Lomax’s departure is expected to strengthen the Eels’ bid to sign South Sydney and Kangaroos forward Keaon Koloamatangi, who came on the market on November 1. The Rabbitohs are fighting hard to keep Koloamatangi, but whispers are growing louder that he has had his head turned by Parramatta.
When asked whether he was surprised that Lomax had decided to leave, having fought so hard to get out of his deal at St George Illawarra to move to the Eels, Sarantinos said: “I don’t think you sign any player for four years and expect that 12 months into the contract they are going to be looking at other opportunities. Things change. When we signed Zac, Brad (Arthur) was coach. We probably didn’t expect that would be the situation. Now we have Rylesy in place and he’s been pretty clear with all the decisions he has made around personnel.”
It is understood that a transfer fee has been included as one of the conditions of Lomax’s release from his contract. The size of the release fee remains a closely guarded secret - this masthead was told it was a significant figure.
If Lomax is R360 bound, they will need to stump up plenty of cash to secure his signature for their inaugural competition in October next year.
Not that money appears to be an issue. Nor do the 10-year bans that have been threatened by the NRL for players who join the breakaway league.
They certainly don’t appear to have affected Lomax’s decision.
“I have no idea what R360’s strategy is,” Sarantinos said. “Are they looking to tear the NRL apart or are they looking to pick and choose NRL players. I don’t know how much of a deterrent the bans from the NRL will play. For some players it will be a major deterrent. For other players it may not matter.”
Replies
Because success isnt about signing players who are heavily sought after. 9/10 it just means youre paying overs to get someone with no ties to come to the club.
Pretty sure every bloke that has come to the team since Ryles arrived has added great value? Iongi, Fox, Dylan Walker, Jack Williams. I think hes done well to help recruit all of them and we're already a significantly more attractive place to come than we were 6 months ago.
Exactly Snottie
There's a club Free Agent signing hierarchy that in my opinion looks something like this at the moment
Brisbane / Roosters / Storm - seem to be able to get people at market value or under .
Penith - Get good first graders at good value knowing they're going into a great system . If they target one of your juniors for a role they have open good luck keeping them.
Bulldogs / Sourhs - have millionaire involvement
Parra / cowboys / sharks / dolphins/ manly - can make smart purchases for the right price but struggle to offer enough to get into bidding wars with the teams above
Raiders / Wahs - Competive teams that have to pay overs r recruit smart largely because of location
Tigers / Knights / Gold Coast / Dragons - have to pay ridiculous overs to get anyone of value to look at therm.
I feel like 6 months ago Parra were in that bottom tier and have recruited really well. The only bidding war they half got into was for Galvin and they refused to pay overs for him and moved up the list through improved coaching , systems and recruitment. Hopefully we progress further over the next 12 months and signing someone like Pezet might help us do that if it helps us get to the business end and into the big end of season games. So many fans want us to go the Tigers approach and spend to upgrade the roster . Luai is on 1.4 there and when he was winning comps he was probably on near enough to half that. It buys a level of improvement but comes at expense of overall roster construction . Ryles has shown he knows what he's doing and what sort of player he wants to recruit . We've been given no reason to doubt him.
That's a good post snottie and for the most part true.
When it comes to recruiting talent I think it's been a club problem for awhile I'd hate to go through the approaches we've lost over the years as I bet there are many that go unmentioned.
The club for the most parts biggest issue and it's strength in previous guises has been its development even going back to Brian Smith days for me those players that JR has brought in you are correct they've been great there's no disputing that.Moneyball is important building a roster.
Thing is if we want to compete and be a real threat we have to get everything correct in the mentioned recruitment,retention and development stakes not to win but just be competitive.We can see what the best are doing and if we want that sought of success that's the marker.This is where the club is behind and a long way behind.
When you lose players like Brown Talagi Sanders Lomax and alike the team moves foward but let's be honest are we a better team with or without the mentioned talent.The worst thing about and what tells you how far behind we are is Brown is the best to come through grade in a decade and has just killed it for his country.
We talk about culture character and these soughts of things Brown for the most part last year even dropped bench riding was still a asset to the team did whatever was required of him and yet maybe Pezet helps us attract players if we are successful even though he's bailing in 27.When I look at the mentioned Parra as a club aren't strong enough or good enough to lose players like that they just aren't
When I hear this and that from the CEO trust Jason it doesn't give me alot of faith if I'm honest because basically JRs the fall guy the CEO DoF and all the rest are safe nothings happening to those guys results regardless,it also tells me loud and clear our board have zero idea how to win a premiership ZERO they are pretty much just there for financial and balancing the book reasons that's it..
I believe the recruitment issues and inability to land the biggest fish is from a combination of where we are in the recruitment pecking order I said above and the fact we've committed to not spending overs . Unless we spend overs we won't get them.
Penrith haven't recruited top end talent in their entire run. Neither have Brisbane really but they've been able to hold onto a lot of what they have . Roosters are the club that consistently chases and gets the top end players .
We're on the right track to becoming a more attractive place to play . We've shown a improved style of play , players are for the most part happy , and the coach has realised the importance of keeping our best products and really hammering home the culture and what it means to be a Parramatta player. At this stage in our development that's more important than keeping an inconsistent bloke that puts options in his 8 year deal for every 3 years or a bloke that has his head turned 8 months into a 4 year deal. It's not who we want. 2026 is another season to show we're a happy , stable club going the right way and the flow on effect of this is having the money to attract players that want into a club that's making noise.
Lomax was a BA recruit , Fox was a JR recruit . Personally I think Fox is a much better player but take that out of it and who is the better recruit in terms of what they bring to a club. Fox in a landslide. The same can be said for the other recruits over the last 12 months . We're on the right path .
I respect what your saying Snottie, just not sure I believe it.
There is subjective opinion in those statements and they stay in that basket.
The real issue's you address is the improvement in culture, I agree in principle, just not sure we can deliver it.
Your opinions on say Brown with options and Lomax after 8 months are part of that subjectiveness aspect. WE have had a number of similar deals with Moses, Paulo, Matterson, and have lost players we have not wanted to lose.
Those things said I am disappointed at a couple of levels with Lomax, why did he put his hand up after 8 months, what went wrong (RC360 aside), Finally why did we release him, its bullshit about not wanting to be here so let him go. That's not professional and the option for us was to say, we have you in our plans and you leaving the club after 8 months completely disorganises our roster. We will reconsider your release at the completion of this season.....that would have been a fair response to all parties and give us some time to look at recruitment alternatives.
We are now left high and dry and basically fucked for the upcoming season!
PS If we have some signings happening, then so be it, release Lomax after they are announced!
I agree but Subjective or not there are some facts to it .
Dylan Brown signed an 8 year deal with us in 2022 with options twice over the 8 years. In 2023 he derailed our season with offfield acts . 2024 he didn't play well . He hadn't performed to the value and investment the club put into him... yet he still chose to test the market at the first available opportunity . No one is saying he shouldn't have taken the money . But facts are he also had 6 more years at a million on the table here and put himself on the maket. Nothing within him said I haven't provided value on my end of the deal and given value for the security of an 8 year deal they've given me but I'll see what's out there .
Lomax didn't fully integrate himself into the group , and had his head turned by a rival code 8 months into a 4 year deal. All facts you know , but I'm even doubtful r360 identified him out of all players in the comp to pursue. His agent has taken his name there and asked if they'd be interested.
What from either player shows you they're fully bought into the club and are the type of player that is going to leave no stone unturned in delivering a premiership ? It takes tiotal buy in and commitment . There's players that put their buy in and commitment to the cause and culture first and worry about their situation when the time comes , and players that treat the game as an opportunity to look after themselves and family first and everything else fits around it . I know which players have more success .
I would guess our future acquisitions will be a different character with a lot of due diligence on their personal goals and competitiveness and what value they want to bring to the club at the forefront. How many times in the last few months have you heard Foxx say he loves the club and wants to finish his career here after they took a shot on him and how he'd love nothing more than to lift the trophy here ? That's who we want .
I don't disagree but the issue here is we've had the same issues around our front office since when BA was the coach it matters not who the coach is the problem remains.
The reason why the mention don't have to recruit at the top of the market is because they've done the work in there pathways again which is another club issue not whose the coach issue.
Gus mentioned this many a time Parra aren't a development club and that's what we have to get back to.
Another thing you listen to Gus you listen Matt Cameron then listen to Sarantinos speak the latter isn't in the same discussion when knowing what it takes to build a club let alone win a premiership.Thats all been lumped on JR and here in lies a bigger issue.No serious premiership threat operates in this manner.
I think it all comes down to alignment . If Ryles and the front office are aligned in what they want , who they want to recruit , how they want to spread the cap etc things aren't as bad as you think. If Ryles and the club want Galvin it's hard to put it on MON if he doesn't land him because he wants 100k more to play for Parra than he'd take to link with his Dogs connections . Its not wise for the club to spend extra just to seal the deal .
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