Big name convert Zac Lomax hopes debut comes ‘sooner rather than later’ but won’t rush Western Force debut

Western Force signing Zac Lomax concedes he has a big job ahead to build match fitness and adapt to a new code before he makes his highly-anticipated Super Rugby debut. The 26-year-old headline-grabbing code hopper only arrived in Perth on Monday and is yet to train with the main squad, so would be highly unlikely to play in the Force’s next game, a home fixture against the Chiefs, on March 28. “That’s a tough one. I’ve been out of been out of the game for a period of time,” Lomax said, fronting the media for the first time on Tuesday. “I will learn as much I can each day. The last game of footy I played was the start of September. It’s been five, six months, I’m just trying to get the legs back underneath me. “But at the same time I don’t want to go out there and do a soft tissue injury which would put me out for a period of time. “So I’m taking it day by day. But hopefully sooner rather than later.” The Force follow the Chiefs with two away games against the Reds and Fijian Drua and even that might be a stretch, throwing up the possibility of a first game at home against the Crusaders on Saturday, April 18. “I did a big session yesterday and my body’s a bit sore at the moment. I’ve got another session today and I’ll just sort of keep building it up. It’s just too hard to speculate and say this is when I will be on or not,” he said. “I wanted to play yesterday. I’ve been out of the game for a period of time, and I’m biting on the bit to get back on the field and even just be a part of team training, which I haven’t been a part of for a period of time. “Obviously, I haven’t done a pre-season, so I guess I’ll be going in underdone a fair bit and just trying to close the gap the best I can.” Lomax was the story of the National Rugby League summer before he swapped league for union by signing a two-year deal with the Force. He had planned to make his union debut in the Rugby 360 competition, but the rebel league’s postponement until 2028 left him without a club. Attempts to return to the NRL with Melbourne Storm ended in a legal battle with his former club, Parramatta. Now that the switch is complete, Force coach Simon Cron has floated playing the former NSW State of Origin winger as a full-back in the 15-a-side game as he assesses how to fit the talented ex-St George and Parramatta gun into his backline. He is more likely to find himself on a wing off the bench initially under the guidance of Cron and the Force’s strength and conditioning team. “A little bit of wing or full back,” he said about his on-field role. “I am an open book to. I’m just trying to learn the game the best I can.” Lomax said dealing with the ruck and positional play would be the most difficult challenges of transitioning between the codes. “That’s something that really excites me. There’s so much for me to learn,” he said. Lomax played rugby as a junior but pointed out that was “10 years ago”. “I’ve been playing rugby league for the best part of 10 years. That’s a period of time ago now. The game has evolved,” he said. “I was a little kid when I was playing (rugby) last time, a free spirit chasing the footy around.” Cron said last week the Force would not rush Lomax into the team before he was ready. “He’s an athlete; he’s been running, training and boxing and doing all those things, but it’s just really high-speed exposure that we’ve got to be careful of medically,” he said. Lomax said Cron convinced him the Western Force would be the best fit for him. “It was a really good test for me and Cronnie (Simon Cron) was super transparent throughout the whole process, he was intense and he’s a competitor and that’s what I loved and I can’t wait to be a part of it,” Lomax said. “It’s a real family orientated club where a lot of people aren’t locals. Every person I talk to that’s in the four walls, there’s such a connection here.” The Force have opened the season with one win and four losses. “Seasons can start like that ... as a team, we want to have a few more wins. I hope to be able to add to that wherever I can,” Lomax said. “As soon as I get on the field with the boys, it’s just trying to understand how their game works and learn off them too.”