Parramatta have identified Xavier Coates, Stefano Utoikamanu or Jack Howarth as the three players they are prepared to take in exchange for allowing Zac Lomax to join the Melbourne Storm.
Lomax was granted a release from the Eels in November in the hope he would land a lucrative deal with the breakaway Rugby 360, only for the rebel competition to delay its launch date until 2028.
And given one of the terms of Lomax’s release from the Eels was that he could not play for a rival NRL club without their permission, the representative flyer has been forced to delay any move south until Parramatta are compensated.
Eels chief executive Jim Sarantinos is not prepared to budge on Lomax, saying on Thursday: “I don’t see why we should be disadvantaged in that situation.”
The Storm have already parted ways with Ryan Papenhuyzen and Nelson Asofa-Solomona, who were granted early releases from their contracts, Jonah Pezet, who joined the Eels, and Grant Anderson, who has signed with Broncos. Eli Katoa will miss the 2026 season after underwent emergency surgery due to several head knocks before and during a Pacific Championships game for Tonga.
Melbourne are keen to sign Lomax, are one of the few clubs with money in the salary cap and can afford him, and need depth in their outside backs. Winger Will Warbrick was restricted to just seven games last season due to concussion symptoms, Nick Meaney is off to Perth next year, while Papenhuyzen’s No.1 replacement, Sua Fa’alogo, is hugely talented, but not expected to play every game in 2026 due to concerns about the physical and mental load that would put on him.
Eels winger Zac Lomax is hoping to join Melbourne.Credit: Getty Images
Storm CEO Justin Rodski defended the club’s pursuit of Lomax when the matter was raised at the club chief executives’ phone hook-up with the NRL on Wednesday. Sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed several rival clubs had also made informal inquiries about signing the 26-year-old.
The same sources confirmed on Thursday that Howarth, Coates and Utoikamanu were the three players the Eels had identified as potential replacements. All three are off contract at the end of next season.
