Friday the 13th: that’s the date Zac Lomax’s Melbourne Storm future will be heard in court. It’s also the date Melbourne will start the 2026 season, with or without the 26-year-old.
On Thursday, one of Lomax’s former clubs, Parramatta, launched legal action against him for attempting to breach the terms of the contract he signed in 2024 by attempting to play for rival club Melbourne.
Zac Lomax remains in limbo.Credit: Getty Images
In November, Lomax asked for an early release from his Eels contract to pursue a lucrative deal with rebel rugby competition R360. The Eels agreed to the release subject to certain conditions, including Lomax being prevented from joining another NRL club before his contract expires in 2028.
The R360 board then announced that it had not secured funding to start the competition until 2028, leaving Lomax in limbo. He then sought to join Melbourne for the next season.
When the Storm failed to offer what the Eels felt was an adequate replacement for Lomax, they opened an independent mediation process with the player, which failed to resolve the issue, leading to High Court proceedings.
On Friday, Parramatta’s lawyer Arthur Moses SC asked for a two-day fast-track hearing to consider the sanctity of Lomax’s contract and whether it was valid to limit his ability to join another NRL club.
Summing up the case for Judge Michael Slattery, Moses said Lomax had informed the Eels that his dream was to sign the R360 before the competition “became a bit of a mirage”.
It was agreed that it was in both their interests to resolve the matter quickly as Lomax was still interested in playing rugby should he be prevented from joining another NRL club.
The case will be heard on February 12 and 13, with the Storm scheduled to play their first pre-season game against the Canberra Raiders on Friday night.
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