Storm to face hefty bill if star loses Eels court fight

A high-stakes court spat over embattled NRL player Zac Lomax could mean Melbourne Storm end up with a hefty legal bill instead of the star on their team.

Four-time premiers Parramatta Eels have filed legal proceedings to stop their under-contract winger jumping ship to the Melbourne Storm.

The Eels initially released Lomax amid speculation he would move to the R360 rugby union competition.

When R360 postponed its launch, Lomax was left in limbo before eyeing a move to Melbourne.

The switch to the Storm for 2026 onwards has been reportedly valued at $1 million.

Melbourne had indemnified the State of Origin star and could be on the hook to cover his legal bill if the Eels emerge victorious in the case, the NSW Supreme Court heard during a brief hearing on Friday.

In December, Lomax's lawyer Ramy Qutami said the winger could play with the Storm, Perth Bears or Canberra Raiders, Parramatta's barrister Arthur Moses SC told the court.

Whether the Eels' withholding of consent to move to an NRL rival was reasonable or not depended on the conduct of both teams and Lomax, the barrister said.

The 26-year-old contends this contractual restriction cannot be enforced while Parramatta claims it is legal and valid.

Mr Moses argued the NRL player would need to be cross-examined in court and a two-day hearing set to begin on Thursday would not be sufficient.

Earlier on Friday, Lomax's barrister Adam Casselden SC pushed for the matter to be heard swiftly.

Justice Francois Kunc told the barrister to explain why there would be consequences for Lomax if the hearing was heard over a week from March 2 instead.

"You will have to do some work to persuade me why the world will end if we push this back to the start of March," he said.

This would mean the legal spat is held beyond the start of the NRL season, stymieing Lomax's chance to play in round one.

The parties will return to court on Monday to lock in the next steps.

Lomax, a three-cap Australian international who scored five tries in six Origin games for the Blues, only joined the Eels for the 2025 season after seeking a release from the final two seasons of his contract with the Dragons.

The NRL season kicks off on March 1 in Las Vegas, with the first Australian match on March 5 between the Storm and Eels.