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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
I want a pony
And a micro pig.
I think something has to give. Lomax could mean the difference between making the finals and winning it fir them. Howarth isn't anywhere near his class and could be the one.
Coats i can't see wanting out.
And Utoikamanu is long odds, they won't trade Stefano. Forget that idea
I think its out of Howarth, Blore and Warbrick the players the Storm are willing to trade.
Its going to happen there's absolutely no doubt.
Melbourne are in the box seat as if the Eels do nothing they'll get nothing in return
For mine its 100 % going to be done.
If I have to put money 💰 on its between Blore and Warbrick one of the two is coming imo
How are Melbourne in the box seat exactly? The Eels have all the leverage. They have the Lomax contract, the Storm need to provide a player to have him released from that contract, and it has to be a player the Eels agree to accepting.
The Eels can do nothing. They have no salary cap hit on Lomax and still have money in the bank.
I'm glad Jim has publicly stated they only want a top shelf player as replacement. That's what Lomax is and we shouldn't be penalized for doing nothing wrong.
Interestingly I see the RLPA is quiet about all this after a player has walked out on a contract and is now trying to return to the game as a detriment to the club he left.
If the Eels do nothing, they'll get zero in return. All we have is a peice of paper saying Lomax can't go to another club. How is a peice of paper going to help us
I doubt theres another club who has 600k just sitting there waiting for Lomax, and Lomax isn't going to a dud club
So its a Melbourne player or nothing. Sure, we'll want quality, but I think the Eels will give in knowing a peice of paper is worthless.
The pressure is on Lomax. He is unemployed and has a McMansion to keep up payments on.
Without a Wallabies top up the average value of a Super Rugby Australian player contract is estimated to be around $100,000 to $150,000 AUD per year. The minimum contract for a Super Rugby Pacific player is set at $75,000 AUD so hence why he lost interest in playing for The Force.
We have already lost his services but gained his cap space. If we dont get what we want from the Scum then another team will step up and offer us a swap. We can just sit back and wait for the right offer. Meanwhile time ticks away for Lomax and the bills pile up. No pressure on us. Massive pressure on him, dumb fuck that he is.
No chief your the one whose giving in if the club gives in that sets a poor precedent heading foward and like Super mentions clubs and the RLPA will back Parra here.Parra get plenty they still have cap room they don't have to get anything now there still rebuilding that's not changing.They aren't one player away they aren't winning the premiership next season so why should we help Melbourne do the same.That's all this is if we release Lomax without the correct compensation coming the other way then as above all we've done is give in to a premiership power house.
If the eels do nothing then another team will offer something later down the track. Lomax has another 3yrs with parramatta. What's the rush if they offer f all?
Not giving the team who made the GF the last two years in a row a freebie rep outside back is NOT worthless. The Eels are in the box seat. They are under no obligation to hand an advantage to the Storm. The Eels have already been disadvantaged by losing Lomax at a point in the recruitment cycle where replacing him was difficult.
Storm can go suck it.
We have so many second rowers, Warbrick is one head knock away from retirement. We would take Steph or Coates but melbourne are not giving them up. More likely to come down to if Ryles thinks Howarth is a fair value replacement and then Howarth has to want to move. I doubt there will be a storm deal. We need a quality winger or an alpha middle to replace Paulo when he retires.
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