Former Eels player Zac Lomax has faced backlash for his recent comments regarding rugby league as he transitions to a new chapter in his career by signing a two-year contract with the Western Force and the Wallabies.
Following a court settlement with the Eels, Lomax is barred from returning to the NRL until 2028, unless Parramatta can negotiate a satisfactory player exchange.
This ruling led him to abandon any ambitions of joining the Melbourne Storm for the current season, opting instead for a lucrative two-year deal worth $400,000 yearly as he prepares for the Rugby World Cup in Australia in 2027.
Brent Read from the Daily Telegraph remarked that Lomax's shift to union was almost predetermined once the Eels won their court case and negotiations with the Storm failed.
"Not entirely unexpected because he didn't really have a home in Rugby League," Read noted during an appearance on NRL 360.
"I mean, the door was closed on him effectively because no other clubs wanted him apart from Melbourne, so it's not a surprise he's going to Rugby Union."