Zac Lomax misfires on union return despite hype over Suaalii duel
The last sanctioned duel in Sydney came in 1851 between Sir Thomas Mitchell, explorer and surveyor-general, and Sir Stuart Donaldson, future first premier of NSW.Honour was worth dying for in those days and a Donaldson gripe about Mitchell’s surveying plans was all it took for Mitchell to demand the restoration of his good name by the taking up of pistols.The two men met at dawn of 27 September on the Guriwal Trail in the Lachlan Swamps now gentrified as Centennial Park.Their “seconds” carefully selected pistols of equal potency.As the morning mist lifted, the duellists took 20 paces, then swivelled and pulled their triggers three times.
Every bullet missed, although Mitchell’s last shot knocked off Donaldson’s hat.On Friday night, a few hundred metres and 165 years down the road, two duellists met at Allianz Stadium.The first was Zac Lomax, 190cm and 105kg, the latest League star to switch back to Union and lining up for his third game in the 15-man game since leaving Temora Tuskers age 13.The former NSW Origin speedster was back in Sydney for the first time since the big switch.Forty paces away was Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 196cm and 98kg, the golden boy of rugby whose $5m conversion back from the NRL in 2023 put some glamour back in a jaded code.
Suaalii was back in action after eight long weeks on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.The official match-up was NSW Waratahs v Western Force but fans knew it was Zac v Joey.Lomax had teased Suaalii for “rocking up late in his Rolls-Royce” to a press photo that week.Suaallii shot back that Lomax was shacked up with billionaire Force owner “Twiggy” Forrest.It was pantomime and both knew it, wrestling and laughing together like big dogs in a field.
Pistols wouldn’t be drawn until Friday night when their sides were fighting for a finals berth.With bowl cut and strapped wrists, Lomax loped out like a Cavalier built for shock combat.Suaalii sauntered in like a panther about to turn the tables on a gladiator at the Colosseum.But for all their brawn and beauty, neither impacted the game early.It’s why League fans scoff at Union.
The code’s biggest stars play in tuxedos, too rarely getting the ball in space,Suaalii’s first pass of the match floated past two teammates and fell to the ground,Lomax leapt twice for high balls and missed them completely,He swallowed the third attempt but, like Mitchell’s third shot to dislodge Donaldson’s topper, couldn’t turn it into a killing blow,The first time the two met in contact, Suaalii snapped Lomax off at the ankles to force an error.
In his last game, his debut as starting winger, Lomax had crossed the stripe for the first time in the Force’s boilover win over 13-time Super champions the Crusaders.The relief was real.Lomax got up and roared.Home fans roared too.He’d shown aerial mastery too, plucking kicks from the sky and his fast hands with fellow winger Dylan Pietsch set up the winning try.
But for anyone who’d seen Lomax’s power running and vaulting catch-crash game in NRL, it was still a quiet night,In 2025, he’d averaged 198 running metres per game for Parramatta,After 40 minutes under Friday night lights, the Force had made only 256 metres collectively,At half-time it was one try apiece and scores level 10-all,Neither duellist had drawn blood.
Lomax almost changed that ten minutes into the second stanza, but the pass wasn’t thrown his way.Instead, Pietsch swooped minutes later and scored a second.Lomax didn’t sulk.He surged in support only for his own pass to go over the sideline.It was that sort of night.
Grind and grapple, buttery fingers and botched tries.Two gangs who couldn’t shoot straight.Much as Sydney was promised a revamped $870m Sydney Football stadium to rival the world’s best arenas only to get back a quagmire which held its liquid like Oliver Reed, this crowd of 10,906 felt short-changed.As Origin teammates in 2024, Lomax had scored a try on debut after Suaalii got sent off inside seven minutes for tackling Reece Walsh into la-la-land.There were no such future Wallabies fireworks here.
Both Lomax and Suaalii left the field after 59 minutes, two Ferraris returning to the garage after never getting out of second gear.Despite a 74th minute try to the Waratahs, the Force ultimately edged the contest 20-17.But the real losers were the fans.Neither Lomax or Suaalii fired.No one even lost their hat.
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