Parramatta Eels star Zac Lomax has brushed off speculation linking him to the rebel R360 rugby competition, insisting his focus remains firmly on honouring his contract with the blue and gold.
The 26-year-old winger, who joined the Eels this season after a lengthy stint with St George Illawarra, is under contract with Parramatta until the end of 2028 on a three-year deal.
Despite this, his name continues to surface among NRL stars linked to R360 — the rebel rugby competition set to kick off on October 2 next year after securing both the funding and player numbers to get underway.
Speaking on the Dally M Awards red carpet, where he claimed the Provan-Summons Medal, Lomax was quick to downplay the speculation.
“Nah, not at all,” Lomax said to Fox Sports at the Dally M Awards.
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“I mean, I’m contracted at the Eels for another three years.
“I’ve loved my time there and I’m loving every second of it.”
Lomax isn’t the only NRL star in R360’s sights, with reporter Brent Read noting that several other high-profile players are also being targeted by the newly launched rebel rugby competition.
“The names, they’ve been out there,” Read said on Fox Sports NRL 360 on Wednesday night.
“(Ryan) Papenhuyzen, Lomax, Jye Gray, big Nelson (Asofa-Solomona), Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.”
Parramatta head coach Jason Ryles admitted the club has been keeping a close eye on the situation, revealing that conversations have already taken place with Lomax about the possibility of a switch to R360 — talks in which the winger expressed some interest.
“We spoke about it probably six weeks ago and Zac said ‘there might be something there’,” Ryles told the Daily Telegraph.