The question Lomax could have answered better at his first rugby press conference

If Zac Lomax proves as evasive on the field as he was during his press conference on Tuesday at Rugby Australia headquarters in Sydney, he will be a Wallabies try-scoring machine in no time.

About 20 minutes into a packed media session, flanked by Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh, director of high-performance Peter Horne and Western Force boss Niamh O’Connor, Lomax was tossed what amounted to a ball in open space with no one in defence.

Given he hasn’t fulfilled his past two NRL contracts – with the St George Illawarra Dragons and Parramatta Eels – could he give rugby fans an assurance that if things went badly in Western Australia, he wouldn’t walk out on the code?

“That was the decision I made and I stick by it,” Lomax said to a room full of rugby and league journalists and what felt like as many television cameras.

“I guess previously, there’s obviously been a narrative out there. But for me, I’m so stoked. Everyone at the Force and Rugby Australia has shown the faith in me. I can’t wait to get there. My family is going to move with me.”

A simple “I won’t be breaking my contract” would have sufficed. Even “I’m committed until the end of 2027″ would have helped his cause.

Eyebrows may also have been raised in the west when Lomax referred to the Western Force several times as “Perth”. The Perth Bears enter the NRL in 2027.

Instead, Lomax’s determination to stick to his script and not give a reply that could result in juicy headlines meant that at times, he did not actually answer the question put to him. Some he didn’t want to go near, including one about Parramatta’s refusal to release him.

Everyone left safe in the knowledge that Lomax is excited by the prospect of a new challenge in rugby. Some may have found it amusing, however, that his “dream” to play for the Wallabies burns so bright given that just last week his lawyers were fighting to ensure he remained in a different code in a different state.

When that point was put to Waugh, Lomax shot the reporter an icy stare.

Lomax argued that he had, after all, wanted out of Parramatta to join R360 – the proposed breakaway competition now delayed until 2028 – albeit for a lot more money than what he will be paid at the Force.

Before the press conference, Lomax chatted with his agent Clinton Schifcofske, who played both codes, in a café next to Rugby Australia’s headquarters. Schifcofske has represented Lomax since he was 13.

Having not fronted the media since NSW’s State of Origin camp last July, Lomax appeared nervous in front of the cameras.

RA took care to keep him away from Wallabies branding. The message was clear: he will have to earn the right to wear a gold jersey.

Lomax said he had sought advice from Sonny Bill Williams in recent days – few know more about switching codes – while Wallabies prop Angus Bell, another Schifcofske client, has also been quietly persuading Lomax to make the jump before the 2027 World Cup in Australia.

The pair regularly watch each other’s games and the prospect of travelling the world together in rugby appealed to both.

Asked whether he had been watching much rugby lately, Lomax caught himself mid-answer: “I haven’t watched a whole heap as of late. Well, sorry, as of late, I’ve been watching a fair bit to try and get myself up to speed a little bit.”

Coincidentally, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii – Lomax’s teammate during the 2024 State of Origin series for a grand total of eight minutes – walked into the RA building moments before the recruit began fielding questions.

Suaalii is recovering from a torn hamstring, while Lomax’s training regime during his professional limbo has consisted of catching and passing drills with his partner and family members.

Their rugby salaries are miles apart, but get them on the same field and the marketing potential is obvious.

“What rugby offers as a proposition is very different to the environment that he’s been in,” Waugh said, without directly referencing league. “The opportunity he’ll have on the global stage is exciting.”

Meanwhile, the All Blacks are already in Lomax’s sights – “I don’t think there’s any bigger task in professional sport” – while Wallabies Tests this year in Osaka, Mendoza, Auckland, London, Edinburgh and Cardiff are an appealing prospect for a footballer who did not have a playing contract this time last week.

“Everyone that I speak to … playing for the Wallabies and travelling all around the world, that’s the first thing that makes their eyes light up,” Lomax said.

“I’ve been able to make a decision now and move on from it.”