NSW Blues star Zac Lomax is set to embark on a new chapter in his career next season as he joins the Parramatta Eels. However, he hasn’t held back in issuing a final dig at his former coach, Shane Flanagan.
Media reports consistently depicted Lomax’s relationship with Flanagan as strained, especially after he was moved from the centres to the wing prior to signing with the Eels. Despite being named on the wing in the Dally M Team of the Year and earning a spot on the NSW Blues team, Lomax was dissatisfied with the positional change and the growing tension between them.
Following his departure from the Dragons, Lomax made it clear who he regarded as the superior coach, stating that Michael Maguire was the best he’s ever had, rather than Flanagan, who led the Cronulla Sharks to an NRL Premiership in 2016.
“Madge was unbelievable. He’s hands down the best coach I’ve had,” Lomax expressed on Triple M last week. “I loved every second of it. The great thing about Madge is he’s a genuinely good person. He understands what the team needed.”
Lomax praised Maguire for his ability to unite the team, stating, “The way he went about it was incredible. It’s the best I’ve ever seen. He deserves all the success coming his way, and I’m confident he’ll thrive at the Broncos.”
In his final season with the Dragons, Lomax recorded 14 tries and accumulated 186 points. His arrival at Parramatta follows a disappointing 15th-place finish in 2024, narrowly avoiding the wooden spoon after a win against the Wests Tigers in the last match of the season.
Lomax will be joined at the Eels by Dean Hawkins (Rabbitohs), Isaiah Iongi (Panthers), and Jack Williams (Sharks), and they are also rumored to be pursuing Canterbury Bulldogs young talent Joash Papalii. Meanwhile, Daejarn Asi, Reagan Campbell-Gillard (Titans), Blaize Talagi (Panthers), Morgan Harper, Matt Arthur (Knights), Ethan Sanders (Raiders), Ofahiki Ogden, Makahesi Makatoa, Isaac Lumelume, and Lorenzo Mulitalo will depart the club in 2025.
Reflecting on his time at St George, Lomax acknowledged, “I knew I wouldn’t be there, but I just focused on keeping my head down and training hard. I aimed to compete in every game, not wanting to let my teammates down, especially knowing I had already signed with the Eels.”
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