Eels all smiles at training following Lomax saga conclusion as team prepares for first round matchup... with Melbourne
The Eels have turned their focus from the courtroom to the footy field - but it remains with Melbourne - as the team prepares for their Round 1 battle following the end of the Lomax saga.
George Al-Akiki
NRL: Parramatta Eels enforcer Junior Paulo has reacted to the news that Zac Lomax has settled out of court with the Eels.
It was down to business at training on Tuesday for Parramatta as the club’s battle with Melbourne moved from the courtroom to the footy field.
Parramatta players were all smiles in their first training session following news that talks had collapsed between Zac Lomax, the Storm and the Eels.
The Eels and Storm do battle in Melbourne on Thursday night and everything went smoothly for Parra at training aside from one funny moment involving Jonah Pezet.
Former Storm playmaker Pezet’s GPS tracker briefly went missing before the session, much to the delight of his teammates.
He and halves partner Mitchell Moses kept close as they gear up for their first round clash against Craig Bellamy’s Storm.
Parramatta players were back at Kellyville putting the Zac Lomax saga behind them, with the Eels focused on Thursday's clash against Melbourne Storm.
The duo exchanged short kicks with trainers before joining the rest of the squad in warm-up drills.
Jason Ryles was busy on the training pitch when the outcome of his club’s trial against Zac Lomax and the Melbourne Storm broke.
He only found out after the session ended that Lomax’s move to Melbourne was off.
“It’s good that there’s a resolution and we can all move on now,” he said.
“I don’t actually feel too much because we’re on to preparing for a game this week.
“It’s just one of those things when players move on, the place moves on really quickly, that’s happened since I played and it still happens now as a coach.
“Same thing here, so we moved on really quick, we had to, and we’re preparing for a game this weekend so that’s where our focus lies at the moment.”
Lomax’s push to return to the NRL with the Melbourne Storm came to end on Tuesday morning after last ditch talks between them and the Eels broke down, and the Supreme Court upheld the terms of his deed of release.
Lomax requested a release from his four-year deal with Parramatta after just one year, with the winger seeking an opportunity in rebel competition R360 before the competition start was delayed.
As part of his exit, Lomax agreed with the Eels that he would not be able to join another NRL side without their consent until the duration of his original deal expired at the end of 2028.
Lomax’s NRL return has fallen flat. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard
The decision leaves Lomax in limbo without an NRL club.
The Eels coach said he had sympathy for the State of Origin rep, and while at one point may have pondered on the possibility of facing his former player in Round 1, that reality quickly fizzled at as the case dragged on.
“We can’t sit around and wait and see what a court case is going to do,” Ryles said.
“We’ve got to move on with our roster and getting ready to play footy, so that’s what we did.”
Co-captain Junior Paulo echoed a similar sentiment.
“That’s something that was always out of our control and I’m glad they have resolved it,” he said.
“The biggest thing is the integrity of Zac and his mental space at the moment.
“I don’t think it was ever a distraction for us, the only thing that really mattered was between these four walls, our team and our main focus was always about prepping for Round 1.
“We’ve been lucky enough to get what we needed to out of the trials and be able to focus on what we need to do.”
That change has come big time since Ryles and the Eels met the Storm in their Round 1 clash in 2025, then copping a 56-18.
With a strengthened roster, promising signs at the back-end of the year and a nearly injury-free pre-season, things are looking on the up for the blue and gold.
“We’ve been able to learn the systems now and get our repetition in throughout the pre-season,” Paulo said.
The (one year) Pezet Era has begun in Parramatta. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images
“It’s more so us being able to, I guess, tweak our craft and wanting to be better.”
That includes new Melbourne recruit Pezet who will be with the Eels for a year before moving to the Broncos.
The livewire five-eighth has so far ticked all the boxes and more in Kellyville, with Ryles impressed with the strength of his partnership with team leader Moses.
“Generally you hear him before you see him, so between him and Foxy and obviously Mitchell, it makes for a good dynamic and it’s always different personalities and how they gel together and they seem to be working pretty well together at the moment,” Paulo said.
Pezet and Ryles with Parramatta travel to Melbourne to face their former side on Thursday night.
Heading into the clash, the former Storm assistant Ryles has a near completely fit side to choose from to kick off his second full season as head coach.
The only absentee is injured winger Josh Addo-Carr who suffered a broken thumb in the trials.
The flying outside back though isn’t too far away as he showed good signs while training separately from the squad, eyeing a return ahead of Round 4.
