‘Won’t be steamrolled’: Eels knock back Storm’s last attempts to do a Lomax deal

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Parramatta claims it refused to be “steamrolled” in coming to a resolution with Zac Lomax after knocking back a $750,000 transfer fee offer and a final attempt to offload Ryan Matterson to Melbourne went awry.

The parties still came to an out-of-court settlement on Tuesday, with Melbourne effectively paying $250,000 worth of Parramatta’s legal fees in exchange for Lomax being able to return to the NRL in 2028 – 12 months earlier than the original release agreement that he struck with the Eels.

Sources speaking on the condition of anonymity due to commercial sensitivities have told this masthead the Storm had agreed to also sign Matterson, in a bid to end the impasse.

Informed sources said the Storm’s latest offer was to pay the remainder of Matterson’s 2026 contract – worth approximately $416,000 on the salary cap – as well as a further $300,000 in cash to the blue and golds. Under the proposal, Lomax would have made his Storm debut later in the season, given Melbourne didn’t have the salary cap space required to take Matterson and pay the winger’s full freight.

The parties agreed, only for Matterson – whose future is clouded after suffering concussion symptoms – to decide he didn’t want to transfer to Melbourne. The Storm also offered a $750,000 transfer fee, but ultimately Parramatta knocked it back because it couldn’t be used to strengthen its football department.

“Frankly, for us this was never about Zac not playing in the NRL,” Parramatta chief executive Jim Sarantinos said after the court dispute was resolved.

“This was always about doing it in the right way. And we’re completely open to working with Zac and his agent, whereby if they find a home and that results in the right football outcome for us, we won’t stand in the way of that deal.

“I think we’ve demonstrated through this process we’re not going to be steamrolled.”

Zac Lomax leaves the Supreme Court on Monday.

Parramatta had earlier commenced legal proceedings to prevent Lomax from joining the Storm, given his release from a four-year contract was contingent on the Eels providing written consent. The NSW winger was granted a release to join rebel rugby competition R360, but has been left in limbo after its inaugural season was put back until 2028.

The Eels felt they had no option but to commence legal proceedings after Melbourne attempted to sign Lomax without recognising the terms of his release. The parties eventually got to the negotiating table, but couldn’t get a deal done before the matter was poised to be heard in court.

“The Storm … were open with us, they’ve had a lot of changes to their club and they needed a player,” said Parramatta chair Matthew Beach. “As we said to the Storm, ‘Congratulations, you got to the front of the queue.’ Nothing against that.

“It would have been better to know it earlier on, rather than sort of the deal looked like they were pretty pregnant with it by the time we got approached, which made it harder.”

The cessation of the case is unlikely to take the sting out of the opening-round clash between Parramatta and Melbourne on Thursday.

The Eels remain open to doing a deal with the Storm or any other club if they can get an adequate replacement for Lomax.

“This was all about fighting what we felt was right, irrespective of what the other counterparties were looking for,” Sarantinos said.

Rugby Australia are still keeping the door open to Lomax, with informed sources reporting that the Western Force remain interested in signing him, having previously offered the winger a $250,000 a year deal.

Lomax last played rugby at primary school in Temora and would face a steep learning curve, with the Force already three rounds into the Super Rugby season.

Lomax’s financial returns in rugby would grow if he were to earn Wallabies selection.