LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
The 2026 NRL season is approaching amid the ongoing Zac Lomax saga. The talented winger, formerly with the Parramatta Eels, is embroiled in a legal dispute as he seeks to join the Melbourne Storm. Currently, the Eels are maintaining their stance, and Lomax faces the possibility of being sidelined for the entire 2026 season.
But how did this situation arise? Lomax, along with other NRL stars like Ryan Papenhuyzen and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, was interested in transitioning to the controversial rebel league R360. Eager to switch codes, he received a release from the final three years of his contract with the Eels only one season after moving from the Dragons ahead of the 2025 season.
R360, which counts England World Cup winner Mike Tindall among its advocates, announced in December that its launch had been postponed until 2028. This delay stemmed from failing to meet essential benchmarks related to player participation, coaching staff, and overall competition infrastructure, functions critical for securing funding needed to kick-start operations by the latter half of 2026.
Although over 200 players reportedly signed letters of intent to join R360, the league did not have the endorsement from World Rugby. Furthermore, nearly all Tier 1 unions-except for Argentina and Wales-expressed in a joint statement last year that they would deny any player affiliated with R360 from participating in Test rugby.
The Eels permitted Lomax to leave on November 16, after just one season, allowing him to "pursue opportunities outside the NRL." At that time, it appeared that R360 might still launch, setting Lomax on a potential path away from rugby league altogether.
However, as R360 delayed its start, Lomax found himself in need of a new team. The complication arose when the Eels agreed to his release with a condition: he could not join another NRL club until after October 31, 2028, without their consent.