NRL news 2026, Zac Lomax move from Parramatta Eels to Melbourne Storm stymied by Ryan Matterson contract demand, analysis explainer

The Zac Lomax move to Melbourne was ultimately torpedoed by out-of-favour Parramatta forward Ryan Matterson and his refusal to move south to the Victorian capital.

The Storm and Eels were on their way to reaching an agreement which would have seen State of Origin winger Lomax join Craig Bellamy's roster, having quit his Eels contract at the end of last season to pursue rebel rugby competition R360, which ended up being delayed by two years.

Parramatta's legal case against Lomax ended on Tuesday morning when the two parties reached an agreement, blocking Lomax from playing for a rival club until at least 2028 unless he gains written permission from his former team.

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Melbourne had been negotiating for three months in an effort to bring Lomax south and bolster a backline that looks mighty thin after the departure of Ryan Papenhuyzen and an injury to Xavier Coates.

The Eels would only let Lomax join the Storm if they were offered a deal that would benefit their football department.

Financial offers of $100,000, $200,000 and then $300,000 were rejected in exchange for the player Melbourne was willing to pay $750,000 a season for.

But Parramatta came up with a solution the club would have been happy with - Melbourne could take Lomax if it also took out of favour Matterson.

The Eels have been trying to offload Matterson, 31, for months. Last year he played just four NRL games for the club, with new coach Jason Ryles immediately identifying him as dead wood on a roster that needed cleaning up.

He is eating up $700,000 a season on the Eels salary cap. News Corp reports there is about $416,000 remaining on that deal which expires at the end of October.

Watch the 2026 NRL season live and free on Nine and 9Now.

Melbourne offered to take Matterson and that $416,000 off Parramatta's cap. It was an offer the Eels were prepared to take, but it hinged on Matterson agreeing to the move too.

According to News Corp, the Storm offered Matterson the chance to rejuvenate his NRL career under Bellamy as many, many players have done over the years. He has no future as an NRL player at Parramatta under Ryles and will almost certainly spend 2026 in reserve grade.

Melbourne offered him an option to extend his contract for 2027, depending how this year went, and believed the offer was enough to convince him to move.

But the Storm were reportedly blindsided when Matterson's agent Gavin Orr informed the club early this week his client would only agree to the deal if they guaranteed a contract for 2027.

Melbourne was not prepared to make that guarantee and so Matterson refused to budge, effectively ending negotiations and any chance Lomax had of continuing his own NRL career with the Storm.

Now, it's a very real possibility Matterson has ended his own NRL career and stymied that of his former teammate Lomax's.

Matterson was on the nose with the Eels and club fans three years ago when he controversially opted to be suspended for the opening rounds of the season rather than pay a $4000 fine.

It happened after the Eels lost the NRL grand final to Penrith in 2022 and left a sour taste in the mouths of many who saw the decision as Matterson putting his own financial interests ahead of the team.

Matterson's career has been a rollercoaster. He made his Origin debut for NSW in 2022 but was never seen in a Blues jersey again.

His career stalled under Ryles last year and now it appears it may be over, unless he finds a new home for 2027 and beyond.

Lomax is only 26 years old and was at the top of his game before the bombshell decision to quit the Eels last year.

He made his Origin debut in 2024 and has played six consecutive games on the wing for the Blues. He also played three games for the Kangaroos in 2024 and is undoubtedly one of the best centre-wingers in the competition.

Matterson's refusal to take up Melbourne's offer has ultimately cruelled the Storm, the Eels, Lomax, and himself.

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