Source :- THE AGE NEWS
By Iain Payten and Adrian Proszenko
A shot at playing in the Rugby World Cup next year is still on the cards for Zac Lomax after the unemployed star met with Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt and Rugby Australia boss Phil Waugh on Wednesday.
The development came as it emerged Melbourne had attempted to offload to Parramatta one of two fringe first-graders – with 33 NRL games between them – in exchange for allowing representative star Lomax to join the Storm.
Lomax remains in limbo after coming to an out-of-court settlement with Parramatta that effectively means he can’t return to the NRL for two years – instead of three – without the Eels’ permission.
The 26-year-old was spotted emerging from Rugby Australia’s headquarters at Moore Park after a 30-minute meeting with Schmidt, Waugh and RA recruiting boss Toby Duncan.
RA declined to comment, but informed sources said no offer was tabled and the meeting was to reconnect with Lomax after his camp opened talks with RA in December after he toured the facilities of the Western Force and the Brumbies, and both clubs tabled offers.
But with RA unwilling to make a substantial top-up payment, the total offer was set at only about $350,000 – less than half Lomax’s wage in the NRL – and he then focused on a potential move to the Melbourne Storm.
Zac Lomax celebrates after scoring a try for the NSW Blues.Credit: Getty Images
The Force and the Brumbies have confirmed this week they are still interested in signing Lomax, and though Waugh has said the door is still open, it is also unlikely RA will significantly increase their offer – if at all – given they have since signed Angus Crichton, re-signed Max Jorgensen on a five-year deal and helped bring James Ramm back to Perth from England.
Lomax is also exploring options for a return to the NRL, if a team can get a deal done with Parramatta.
Most of the compensation negotiations between the Storm and Parramatta centred on Ryan Matterson, and how much Melbourne were prepared to pay to take him off Parramatta’s books.
The clubs finally agreed on a figure; Melbourne would pay $416,000, the remainder of Matterson’s contract for this season, plus a further $300,000 as a transfer fee. However, when Matterson demanded the Storm guarantee him a spot for 2027, the deal unravelled. In opting not to shift south, Matterson may have ended his NRL career, and that of Lomax.
The Storm were willing to trade Josiah Pahulu (left) or Lazarus Vaalepu (right) for Zac Lomax (centre), along with a transfer fee.Credit: Getty Images
What hasn’t been revealed is the two other players that Melbourne put forward for a player swap. Sources speaking on the condition of anonymity, because the players themselves may not have been aware of the development, told this masthead the Eels were offered the relatively unknown Josiah Pahulu or Lazarus Vaalepu in exchange for Lomax.
Vaalepu is a 26-year-old prop who has made 11 first-grade appearances since making his NRL debut in 2024. All but one of them has been off the interchange bench. He didn’t make the cut for Thursday night’s clash against Parramatta at AAMI Park. His career highlight has been making two Test appearances for Samoa in 2024.
Pahulu is also a front-rower, who has made 22 NRL appearances since making his debut for the Gold Coast in 2024. The 21-year-old was one of Melbourne’s off-season recruits, but has also missed selection for the Eels clash. The Storm raised the prospect of shifting him just months after he arrived at the club.
The Storm were keen to suppress the identity of the players they put forward, given they both remain contracted until 2027, had the Lomax court case gone to a full hearing.
Given Parramatta were being asked to give up their rights to Lomax – a NSW and Australian representative considered one of the best wingers in the world – they found the offer of either Vaalepu or Pahulu unacceptable.
The Eels have maintained throughout the saga that they would only consider offers that would strengthen their roster. They felt being asked to swap a marquee man such as Lomax for a relative no-name wasn’t a good trade.
It was only at the eleventh hour, just before the Supreme Court hearing got under way, that Melbourne sharpened their pencil and upped their offer for Matterson. The Storm also tabled a $750,000 transfer fee offer for Lomax, but the Eels refused because it could not be added to their salary cap.
Ultimately, a settlement was reached after Melbourne agreed to pay $250,000 of Parramatta’s legal fees in exchange for Lomax being able to return to the NRL in 2028. That’s 12 months earlier than the original agreement that Lomax struck with Parramatta, but still leaves him in league limbo.
Matterson’s career is also at a crossroads. The former NSW back-rower has fallen down the pecking order at the Eels and will struggle to break into the NRL squad. Off contract at the end of the season, and having gone through a period where he has again suffered concussion-like symptoms, he has been unable to find a club for 2027.
