Howarth for exiled Lomax: Eels ears prick at mooted Storm player trade
2 months ago - Sportingbase
Melbourne may have found a path to signing Zac Lomax, with early reports suggesting that Jack Howarth could be offered as a makeweight to Parramatta to get the Eels to release their in-exile New South Wales winger.
The NRL world has been discussing the swap since mid-week, when veteran journalist Buzz Rothfield first suggested the deal. “Jack Howarth for Zac Lomax,” Rothfield posted on Twitter on Thursday.
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Not much beyond that from Buzz — whether Parramatta or Melbourne originally suggested the swap wasn’t included, nor was whether it would be for 2026 or maybe 2027.
The Sporting Base understands the Eels won’t accept any deal to let Lomax sign with another NRL club unless they get a valuable piece in return. Lomax had asked to leave his bumper long-term deal early to join R360, but that breakaway rugby competition has since been delayed some years.
(It is worth noting we’ve heard nothing about this Lomax-Howarth swap deal that Rothfield pointed at mid-week, though it does make some sense considering Howarth’s of a quality the Eels would like.)
Howarth is signed until the end of the 2027 NRL season, too, so his camp would need to accept the swap trade for anything to go through. There’s no indication that Howarth has been unhappy in Melbourne.
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Melbourne may be happy to let Howarth go considering he’s featured only 16 times over the last two seasons. While he’s highly regarded down south, they aren’t exactly lacking strike power in the roster — and Lomax would fill a similar gap. The other way, Parra would be very happy with Howarth on an edge.
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Howarth has also worked with Parramatta’s coach in the past; he and Jason Ryles worked closely together while Ryles was an assistant in Melbourne. That same link is how the Eels boss landed Jonah Pezet and Josh Addo-Carr.
It’s a waiting game to see if Buzz’s mail pans out. For the time being, no one else is reporting the trade deal formally.
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