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Zac Lipowicz pushes back his Perth Bears return to stay at Wakefield

12 Nov 2026 · Coming Home

Zac Lipowicz was set to come home in 2027. Now he will wait a year. Wakefield Trinity announced a new one-year deal for the 24-year-old back rower on 9 November, keeping him in England for the 2027 Super League season.

Lipowicz had agreed a two-year contract with the Perth Bears, the new NRL side starting in 2027. He will now join them ahead of the 2028 season instead, the BBC reports. Serious About Rugby League says he felt a full Super League season would help him more than a development contract at the Bears, and that his 2028 deal is an NRL contract.

He left Penrith, where he played more than 50 NSW Cup games, to join Catalans Dragons for 2026. He made 26 appearances there before joining Wakefield in August. He played six games, including the Grand Final win at Old Trafford.

"Another season of regular first-grade football in England will only benefit his development," Bears coach Mal Meninga said, according to the Yorkshire Post.

What it means for the move

Coming home is a decision with a date on it, and dates can move. If you have signed to return but might stay another season, ask both clubs early what changes: the start date, the contract that applies, and when pay from each club starts and stops. Keep any lease, school or money plans tied to the return flexible until the date is settled.

Sources