Zac Lomax will make his highly anticipated Super Rugby debut this weekend, almost a month to the day after his hopes of playing in the NRL this season were ended.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lomax has been named on the bench for the Western Force ahead of Saturday’s round-eight clash against the Queensland Reds in Brisbane.<\/p>\n
The 26-year-old is no stranger to Lang Park, a venue where he has never been a welcome visitor.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Force recruit Lomax ‘no stranger’ to hostile Brisbane crowd<\/a><\/p>\n Zac Lomax could get his first taste of rugby union at a venue where the Western Force recruit is no stranger to receiving a hostile welcome.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lomax played for NSW in the past two State of Origin matches held at the famous ground.<\/p>\n He scored two tries in the Blues’ 18-6 win in the series opener last year, and kicked three crucial goals in the famous 2024 decider triumph.\u00a0<\/p>\n His most recent match at Lang Park came in July last year, when he scored two tries as the underdog Eels upset eventual NRL premiers Brisbane.<\/p>\n “He’s a natural athlete \u2014 big, strong, fast, powerful,” Force head coach Simon Cron said.<\/p>\n “We’ve done a bit of work with him since he got here, he’s very confident that he’s ready.<\/p>\n “We’re in a position now where, I think, it’s a great opportunity for him to play.<\/p>\n “He’s coming off the bench, so it gives him a chance to work his way into the game. He’s a great player, and he’s ready to go.”<\/p>\n Lomax was granted a release from the Parramatta Eels at the end of last year so he could join R360, a start-up rugby union league that had to delay its launch.\u00a0<\/p>\n The terms of Lomax’s release did not allow him to play for another NRL team before the 2028 season unless the Eels accepted compensation from a rival club to sign him.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Melbourne Storm tried to sign Lomax but the Eels rejected the compensation offered, which led to a battle in the courts.<\/p>\n