A code switch, reversed
Zac Lomax will not stay long in rugby union. The Australian wing has committed to the Papua New Guinea Chiefs, the rugby league franchise bound for the NRL, and he will leave Western Force once his current contract runs out. A video surfaced on Sunday of Lomax addressing Chiefs supporters at Santos National Football Stadium in Port Moresby.
The Chiefs carry real weight for the competition. Founded in 2024, they are scheduled to become the NRL’s newest entry from the 2028 season, and Lomax arrives as their fifth signing. “We are going to shock the NRL,” he told the crowd. “I can’t wait to be a part of it.”
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The numbers behind the move
Lomax brings a substantial league record. He made 133 NRL appearances across spells with St. George Illawarra and Parramatta, played State of Origin for New South Wales and earned international honours with Australia. Then came the turn to union. He walked out on a three-year Parramatta contract, flirted with the breakaway R360 project, and signed with the Force when R360 delayed its launch to 2028.
His 15-a-side stint stayed short. Lomax made seven Super Rugby Pacific appearances for Simon Cron’s Perth side after debuting against the Fijian Drua in April. A groin injury then closed the door on Wallabies selection for the Nations Championship.
A union farewell that may not be immediate
The 26-year-old could still add to that brief union chapter. He remains eligible for Australia A against the USA Eagles in a two-match series in Nashville and New Jersey in October, and the senior Wallabies tour England, Scotland and Wales in November. For now, his long-term path points back to the league code he never truly left behind.
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