Zac Lomax's Manager Joins Kenty Blitz For A Tell All

With Paul Kent sidelined while recovering from an intensive round of chemotherapy, Kenty Blitz pressed on under the stewardship of Warren Livingstone and Steve “Chimes” Gillis - and it didn’t miss a beat.

In what may be one of the shows best scoops, Woz and Chimes dive into the latest in the Zac Lomax saga direct from the player’s manager, alongside a full sweep of the day’s NRL developments and the debut of a tongue-in-cheek “AI Kenty”.

“Everything’s on the table”

Gillis confirmed that Lomax is physically ready to play immediately and mentally strong despite the noise surrounding him. What remains uncertain is where that will be.

“Everything’s on the table at the moment for Zac,” Gillis said.

That wasn’t a throwaway line. It meant exactly what it sounded like. Staying in the NRL remains an option. So too does rugby union, including potential opportunities in France or Japan. English Super League clubs have been contacted and conversations are active. Chimes and his team have cast the net widely over the past 48 hours.

The difficulty, Gillis explained, isn’t convincing clubs of Lomax’s value. It’s finding the right fit - competitively, financially and culturally. The next week is expected to bring clarity.

Why Melbourne collapsed

The preferred destination had been the Melbourne Storm. As Gillis put it, when Melbourne call, you listen.

The appeal was obvious: Craig Bellamy, premiership contention, elite systems and development. But the proposed move hinged on a player swap, and once that framework fell apart, so did the deal.

Read more about how the deal fell apart HERE.

Chimes said there was no animosity from Lomax's team towards Matterson. It was simply the reality of multi-party negotiations. For a swap to work, both players must agree, both clubs must align, and the salary cap arithmetic must stack up. One variable shifts and the whole mechanism breaks.

Gillis conceded it is now unlikely the Storm pathway can be revived.

The contract integrity argument

Livingstone pressed Gillis on the uncomfortable question - whether clubs will hesitate to sign a player who hasn’t seen out his last two contracts.

Gillis’ answer was pragmatic rather than defensive. If contracts were absolute, he argued, then players would never be moved on when form dips, coaches would never be sacked mid-cycle and clubs would never restructure rosters to suit cap pressure. Rugby league simply doesn’t operate in that rigid environment.

He explained that Lomax signed at Parramatta to play under Brad Arthur. Arthur was gone within weeks. At St George Illawarra he was recruited as a fullback, moved to centre and then shifted to the wing. Circumstances evolve rapidly in professional sport.

“The game changes,” Gillis said.

It wasn’t framed as justification - more an acknowledgment of how fluid roster management has become.

Handling the heat

For Lomax personally, the scrutiny has been intense. Gillis was adamant the situation has been overstated in the public arena. “He hasn't committed a crime, he’s in a pickle.”

The 26-year-old has been advised to tune out the noise and focus on training. According to his manager, he remains confident that wherever he lands, supporters will warm to him quickly because of how he competes.

That confidence suggests a belief the saga will eventually be viewed as business, not betrayal.

Rules, Vegas and AI Kenty

Beyond the Lomax saga, the episode explored two hot topics: the new six-man bench rule and the Las Vegas experiment. St George Illawarra’s tactical delay in using Blake Lawrie until a head knock opened a fourth interchange sparked debate, showing how coaches could exploit the rule rather than it serving player welfare. From home, a digitally generated “AI Kenty” weighed in, calling it “the dumbest rule in the game” and questioning the commission’s oversight.

The Las Vegas venture was framed bluntly as a strategic entry into the American betting market, though the panel noted it drew huge domestic attention and showcased the Bulldogs–Dragons clash in front of a significant American crowd.

AI Kenty also marked the debut of a new show feature: a light-hearted, digital version of Kent delivering structured takes while he recovers. Balancing humour with insight, keeping the analysis sharp and detailed, particularly around rule changes and the NRL's real reason for beggining its Vegas venture - cracking the US betting market.

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