Sighting of NRL superstar Zac Lomax sends Wallabies rumours into overdrive

NRL outcast Zac Lomax appears to be on the verge of a sensational cross-code switch after being pictured outside Rugby Australia HQ in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney.

New South Wales State of Origin superstar Lomax was released from his Parramatta Eels contract last year to make the switch to R365, but was left in limbo when they put off their launch until 2028.

And a legal dispute with the Eels, who blocked a move to the Melbourne Storm earlier this week, means his options are very limited until 2028, when he can join another league, and moving codes is the only realistic avenue available.

His CV has been floating around clubs in France and Japan for months without any takers, but now Rugby Australia and the Western Force could be ready to throw him a career lifeline.

Lomax, 26, spent time training with the Western Force at the start of the year, and they have emerged as favourites to sign him after the NSW Waratahs said they couldn’t afford him.

Whoever does get his signature on a contract is likely to need financial assistance from Rugby Australia, but it would open the possibility of him becoming available for the World Cup Australia is hosting next year.

The Sydney Daily Telegraph has reported that earlier in the year, he was offered between $350,000 (£185,000) and $400,000 (£210,000), half of what he was earning in the NRL, a switch he could now be forced into taking.

He made an impression on Western Force coach Simon Cron, who has confirmed that he would like to take Lomax to Perth to give him the chance of rebuilding his shattered career.

“I really rate Zac highly, he is a quality person, and I would love to sign him here at the Western Force. I believe Zac really enjoyed spending time with us, and he would be a valuable addition to the team if we could get him,” he said.