Zac Lomax to become bulletproof as Western Force search for 2027 'greatness'

Western Force coach Simon Cron is urging his team to aim for greatness next season, and they’ll have an evergreen Kurtley Beale and a “bulletproof” Zac Lomax among their arsenal again.

The Force ensured their 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season finished with a bang, coming from 20-7 down to defeat the NSW Waratahs 31-25 in driving rain in Perth on Saturday night.

The Force’s fifth win from their final six games resulted in a 7-7 season record and seventh spot on the table.

It also marked the first time since the Force’s 9-7 campaign in 2014 that the Perth-based franchise didn’t finish with a negative win-loss record.

Cron said “it burns” that a lack of bonus points ultimately cost the Force a maiden finals berth this year.

But he was proud of the important strides made by the side, and wants them to aim for even bigger things next year.

“We do live by a bit of a ‘it was good and good is the enemy of great’ (motto), so we’ve got to keep pushing to be great,” Cron said.

“But for now, what they’ve done the last eight weeks, very proud of them and what they’ve achieved, and how hard they’ve worked for it.

“Their mental focus around being able to handle those big moments – it was a massive improvement led by (Jeremy Williams) and the other leaders in the team.

“They deserve a lot of credit.”

Former NRL star Lomax made an important impact after joining the Force mid-season, playing the last seven games and scoring two tries in the process.

It remains to be seen whether Lomax earns a Wallabies call-up for July’s Nations Championship fixtures, but Cron will have a careful plan mapped out for the 26-year-old either way.

“We want to bulletproof his body,” Cron said.

“He’s a big, strong man – he tells me that most days.

“So he will get a bit of a program to work on, and depending on what happens with the Wallabies, we’ll adjust his rugby depending on that.”

Beale’s glittering career looked over when he tore his Achilles tendon in June 2024, just days after earning a dream Wallabies recall.

But the 37-year-old has been a key contributor for the Force since returning in April last year, with his cameos off the bench playing a crucial role in a series of tight wins.

“He’ll be staying. I strongly suggest he’ll be staying,” Cron said of Beale’s future.

“He’s part of the DNA now. And I know he’s keen to evolve into a coaching role in the future, probably after he slows down a bit, but as you saw tonight … he’s not slowing down.”