Zac Lomax, the NRL star who was recently blocked from joining the Melbourne Storm, has been spotted at Rugby Australia's (RA) Moore Park headquarters, sparking speculation about a potential code switch. This development comes as a surprise, given that Lomax's chances of returning to the NRL were previously slammed shut. But here's where it gets controversial... The NRL star had been hoping to join the Storm, but was forced to cough up $250,000 in legal fees and his NRL lockout was reduced by only one year to the end of 2027. This has led some to question whether RA is now offering a more attractive deal to lure Lomax back to rugby union. And this is the part most people miss... While the Eels remain open to a player swap deal for Lomax, any such deal would also depend on Lomax being satisfied with the destination. And that's where things get interesting. Lomax may be entertaining the idea of a switch to the 15-player game once again, just as he had with R360, after the rebel league delayed its start until 2028. But when no top-up was forthcoming from RA, Lomax's interest in a switch to rugby cooled and he instead ramped up his attempts to join the Storm. Now, with that door closed, Wednesday's sighting of Lomax at Moore Park suggests either RA has tabled an improved offer for the 26-year-old or the winger has come back hat in hand and is now prepared to take a contract originally reported to be in the vicinity of $300K-$400K. That figure could have been as much as half of what he was on at the Eels. But is this a fair deal for Lomax? And what does it mean for the future of rugby union? These are the questions that will be hotly debated in the comments section. So, what do you think? Is RA offering a fair deal to lure Lomax back to rugby union? Or is this a controversial move that could set a dangerous precedent for cross-code recruitment?
