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Parramatta have identified Xavier Coates, Stefano Utoikamanu or Jack Howarth as the three players they are prepared to take in exchange for allowing Zac Lomax to join the Melbourne Storm.
Lomax was granted a release from the Eels in November in the hope he would land a lucrative deal with the breakaway Rugby 360, only for the rebel competition to delay its launch date until 2028.
And given one of the terms of Lomax’s release from the Eels was that he could not play for a rival NRL club without their permission, the representative flyer has been forced to delay any move south until Parramatta are compensated.
Eels chief executive Jim Sarantinos is not prepared to budge on Lomax, saying on Thursday: “I don’t see why we should be disadvantaged in that situation.”
The Storm have already parted ways with Ryan Papenhuyzen and Nelson Asofa-Solomona, who were granted early releases from their contracts, Jonah Pezet, who joined the Eels, and Grant Anderson, who has signed with Broncos. Eli Katoa will miss the 2026 season after underwent emergency surgery due to several head knocks before and during a Pacific Championships game for Tonga.
Melbourne are keen to sign Lomax, are one of the few clubs with money in the salary cap and can afford him, and need depth in their outside backs. Winger Will Warbrick was restricted to just seven games last season due to concussion symptoms, Nick Meaney is off to Perth next year, while Papenhuyzen’s No.1 replacement, Sua Fa’alogo, is hugely talented, but not expected to play every game in 2026 due to concerns about the physical and mental load that would put on him.
Storm CEO Justin Rodski defended the club’s pursuit of Lomax when the matter was raised at the club chief executives’ phone hook-up with the NRL on Wednesday. Sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed several rival clubs had also made informal inquiries about signing the 26-year-old.
The same sources confirmed on Thursday that Howarth, Coates and Utoikamanu were the three players the Eels had identified as potential replacements. All three are off contract at the end of next season.
Coates is an excellent representative winger, Howarth is a classy centre whose early injury in the grand final last year cruelled the Storm, while Utoikamanu finished the year one of the form props, and is a western Sydney local who spent time with the Eels as a junior.
Melbourne, however, are not prepared to release any more top-line players, especially given the off-season exodus, and have only nominated a few fringe players as options. They are also prepared to offer Parramatta financial compensation in the hope the Eels free Lomax in the coming weeks, especially with the trials a matter of weeks away.
Lomax has been keeping himself fit behind the scenes, but will no doubt need at least a month to build some on-field combinations at the Storm.
Given Lomax has another decade at best to make the most of his sporting career, some clubs are wondering if he pursues legal options if forced to sit out this season. There is no appetite from Lomax or the Eels to reunite. Sources were quick to point out Lomax quit the Eels in the hope of switching codes, not NRL clubs.
Sarantinos would not comment on the pursuit of the Storm trio, but said: “We agreed to certain terms with Zac as conditions of the release to allow him the opportunity to explore other options outside the NRL.
“We made sure there were certain protections within the release for the period he was supposed to be under contract with us, and he willingly signed up for that.
“Things obviously haven’t worked out the way he was expecting them to, and he is now looking at other opportunities within the NRL.
“As far as we’re concerned, we won’t be consenting to him signing with another club unless there’s an appropriate exchange of value.
“We have had a representative player leave our roster who now wants to join another club’s roster.”
Replies
If we do what you want chief that decision is knee capping the club.
No Jim and co have a handle on this we do the swap on our terms not Lomax's not Melbourne's.
Jim has made this very clear.You don't hand over the rights to a SoO and international winger for Blore and or Warbrick if we do that we are losing and the we've just made the strong stronger.
Yes Coryn, but I want one of the top.3, Like someone said Warbrick is a huge risk, and we have enough second rowers. I think the only way we get one of the big 3 is if Lomax commits to the Storm long term. The issue is he's already broken two contracts. You can't trust him, so its also a risk for the Storm to sign him and let a quality player go. Thats why I think they won't
Don't be surprised if you see Coates in an eels jersey.
Honestly Parrafan, if you tell me any of those 3 will be in an Eels jersey, I think not many at all would be upset. It's a big win win.
If we get one and not someone like Kamikamica
We don't need to do Melbourne's thinking for them, I'm sure they are more than capable. We just need to do what's best for us, and doing nothing isn't the worst option. Let them stew (Lomax in particular), there's nothing gained by being hasty in these scenarios.
Very smart comment Adam.
We should also remember that Storm approached us about the possibility, nobody actually knows if Lomax is interested in going to Melb.
The other thing is that any club is allowed to make the same approach, if Newcastle were half smart they would swap Dyllan Brown for him. They are going to regret paying him 1.3m for the next 10 years. They would be better of with Lomax than they will be with DB. We pay the 650 for Lomax for the next 3 years and they make up the difference to Dylllan for 10 years. You never know he could be cheap at the end of the 3 years.
Yes you are right Adam. There's no use spending cap money on a risk like Warbrick and blore isn't going to change anything or improve the Eels much as we are well off in the back row department and he isn't anything special
I think you are correct the Eels need to dig in . However, I think its extremely long odds that we get one of those three players.
The only chance is probably Howarth imo.
I think it will end up.a stalemate
Someone explain to me please. Say the Eels and the Storm do a deal and Lowtothemax is allowed to play with them how are the terms of the traded player worked out.
Howarth and Stefano aren't origin and Australian players.
They are also forwards which we don't need. We need some quality in the backline.
The only swap we should be considering is Coates and that ain't happening so Lomax and the Storm can fuck off.
In all reality, Sarintinos and O'Neil will fold quicker than Superman on laundry day and will accept whatever crap player the storm is happy to get rid of.
100% like for like is coates. Coates or nobody.
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