When Zac Lomax approached the Eels hierarchy in 2025 that he would like to depart the club only one year into a four year deal, it was clear the representative winger was going his own way.
Parramatta, while not exactly keen to release a marquee signing so soon after joining the club, have got a clear view of wanting players to be all in. There is no equivocating, no half-committing. In or out.
So with Lomax stating he wasn't exactly committed to the cause, the decision was made to grant him a conditional release. That condition of course being that the Eels retain his NRL contract and have veto power if he wishes to return to the NRL with another club before the completion of that contract.
Athletes, particularly in rugby league due to both the violent nature of the sport and its relatively small commercial market, have a limited opportunity to make money which their bodies will then pay for later.
CTE and the results of head impacts aside which are well documented and continue to be an issue, relatively young men who have entered rugby league retirement will deal with the results of their sport for the rest of their lives.
Taniela Tuiaki and Jharal Yow-Yeh will never run again. Even Eels legend Nathan Hindmarsh has dealt with the results of his 330 game career, having a hip replacement before the age of 50.
So no one begrudges them wanting to make money.
But the Lomax case is a now a case study of how to blow up your career with one decision. R360 was, is and remains a pipe dream. No coaches, no clubs, no stadiums. A narrative pushed in the media with little substance.
It's the NFT of the sporting world.
Yet Lomax was advised by his manager that this was a good bet. That manager, Clinton Schifcofske, should honestly have his agent accreditation stripped following this. His advice was beyond reckless and he's left his client up a creek without a paddle.
While the Melbourne Storm willing to take on a player with this much baggage, it's clear the Eels aren't going to budge without a significant player transfer. And all credit to the Eels management for voicing that publicly to put pressure on the Storm.
It also seems the Lomax and his agent are ignorant to rugby league history. It's not the first time the Eels have played hardball with a player who has walked after signing a deal.
Jamie Lyon disappeared from the club in 2004, before fleeing to England where he spent 3 years to allow his contract to expire before returning to the NRL. I know this is an oversimpification of the Lyon saga, but the result was a 3 year stint in the cold north of England.
Yet Lyon was just 22 when he left. A 3 year overseas stint meant he returned at the peak of his playing powers.
Lomax is 26, turning 27 this year. If he were forced to sit out his contract or play overseas, it's likely he'd only return at the end of his professional career, well short of the money and acclaim he'd have achieved had he remained with the Eels.
Perhaps another parallel to be drawn is with another former Dragon in Gorden Tallis, who signed with the Broncos during Super League, but following the delay of the Super League season, chose to sit out the final year of his Dragons contract than play for the club.
Again, not a like-for-like, given Tallis had a contract with another club. But it goes to show again that ignoring what has happened to other players in the past means you can end up making the same mistake.
At the end of this saga. Whether Lomax ends up landing in Melbourne because the Storm cough up their own marquee player to the Eels, or he's forced to sit some or part of his contract, or he ends up returning to the blue and gold, Lomax has only damaged himself.
Parramatta has received the full support of the other 15 clubs not involved in this matter. The NRL would be incentivised to back Parramatta's stance given it's an NRL contract Lomax is seeking to break. Perhaps most interestingly has been the lack of visibility of the RLPA.
The RLPA has steadily resisted calls for intra-season transfer windows, arguing it hurts players. Well Lomax has just undermined all that by walking out on a long term contract before returning and then asking to switch states, all within a 3 month period.
Ultimately though, it seems regardless of the outcome, Lomax is set to earn less than he was at the Eels, while putting himself in a poor position for any future contract negotiations with other clubs, who would be hesitant to offer him a long-term, high money deal, knowing he's likely to up and move when the situation doesn't suit.
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Exactly
No doubt Lomax will be back in the nrl eventually but it's going to be a process, Parra just needs to ask for compensation of a player of decent value and something will eventually get done. If it's not the storm another club will come to the party
The issue is timing. Not many, if any clubs would want to part ways with an incredible player in order to get Lomax, particularly a month out from Round 1.
If it can go into the first month of the year and a team, that is sort of in contention, suffers and injury we can pounce on desperation. We have leverage but at the same time it is an item hard to determine like for like value.
You are right that another club coming in, my prediction is it rhymes with the bluesters, could happen. I would go as far as to say it will happen. The longer this drags out, more Melbourne are in the media, more i reckon they get cold on it and move on. Maybe try again later into the season.
LB at what stage of the season do teams have to have the 97.5% (is that the figure?) of their cap spent?
Spot on timing is the issue which is why we shouldn't rush to do anything. I commented a long long time ago in regards to recruitment that we should see who shows interest in us rather than chasing players trying to get them to come to us. No better time than now to give it a try.
Adam, see hereunder, the bottom line is that what you are referring to is essentially the end of the season.
This makes sense as many variables will ocur, a mature management process would be structured to represent all sorts of contingencies and things like match payments and bonuses, and can obviously be influenced by all sorts of issues.
I agree with what you are implying, no rush and as we all know many things can happen around 30 June.
My guess is that Parra are sitting on plenty of cash and will have plans in how to use it as the season progresses. The other thing is that all assumed salaries are inflated as no manager when they make their "leaks" is going to tell the truth. I personally do not understand why these things cannot be public.
Finally we are not losing/unsuccesfully missing signing players for money.....the word "benefits" is our missing link IMO. This comes back to the rigidity of the corporate structure of the club concerned....it would seem we are short on "sugar daddy's and benevolent dictators, given our proper corporate structure.
If it's total money it's all over. Is everyone here at peak or are some choosing life balance
I know it's money. Why do our good players choose money not premierships the latest news said we're a decent outfit. Do we have any players who arnt controlled by there manager's. I hope lomax is not allowed back it ruins the game .
Look at the panthers boys in TV ads on buses ,the memories and friendship bonds.
Doh! is that because they have won 4 premierships and been in the last 5 GFs. Inconsiderate bastards...how dare they!
I will say your point on Lomax coming back ruins the game, it can have that impact. If he comes back it shows every player the lengths you can go to get out of a deal. But why do our players chase money? Well some players either see no premiership with us or play the game for the money, no issue with being a mercinary offering your services to the highest bidder.
There are players who play as they love the game and adore it. Then there are some who play as they are good at it. Money is a motivator to some. Hell i would say nearly all players have money as the main motivator, that's life we all work for money.
Maybe it's not the money just wrong contracts wrong people. Hopefully iongi and ryles r real
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