NRL 2021: Warriors prop Matt Lodge apology over Gold Coast Titans fight

NRL bad boy Matt Lodge admits he is still wrestling with his dark past, and says he lost control in Sunday’s brawl against the Gold Coast Titans.

Lodge reacts as he is sent to the sin bin following the fight. Picture: Getty

Warriors forward Matt Lodge has publicly apologised for his outburst on Sunday afternoon against the Gold Coast, conceding he lost control and needs to spend the off-season working on his issues.

Lodge was sin-binned after an altercation with Titans forward Jarrod Wallace and then flipped the bird at the crowd as he made his way off the field at Cbus Super Stadium as the Warriors ended their season on the end of a thrashing by the Gold Coast.

His behaviour is expected to come under the scrutiny of the match review committee on Monday and Lodge is likely to face a charge that could rub him out for the start of next season.

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Jarrod Wallace and Matthew Lodge grapple during Sunday’s wild showdown. Picture: Getty

Warriors coach Nathan Brown was furious with his side afterwards and Lodge was the focus of criticism from Melbourne and Queensland legend Cameron Smith on radio station SEN on Monday morning.

Lodge acknowledged he was in the wrong.

“Just wanted to apologise for my behaviour today there’s no place for it on the footy field,” Lodge wrote on social media.

“I knew it was wrong as soon as I did it. And I am very embarrassed now. I would take it back if I could. The footy field is a place I’ve let my emotions out my whole life.

“Being a professional now and controlling them is something I am constantly working on. You work so hard to be clean, disciplined and a good example and one split decision can reverse it all.

“Over the last (five) years I think mentally I’ve handled all the situations and the negativity towards me pretty good and held it all together.

Lodge admits he’s started to feel the pinch of the negative commentary surrounding his place in the game. Picture: Getty

“I don’t know why but lately I’ve let a lot of it get to me which has shown me I’m not where I need to be as a person just yet.

“I’m genuinely sorry.”

Lodge joined the Warriors mid-season after moving from the Brisbane Broncos but he admits he is still grappling with his past – he was suspended from the game after a home invasion in New York in 2015.

Since then, Lodge has worked hard to turn his life around. He has largely abstained from alcohol and become a father. However, he admitted he remains a work in progress.

“At the time I really am feeling like I don’t want to be out there opening myself up to it anymore and I just lost control,” he said.

“But that’s all apart of my personal growth. I’ve made some big mistakes and I know majority of people will hate me regardless but to everyone who has been kind to me I’m sorry.

“I am human, I do sometimes have my own head noise I’m dealing with, and I do make mistakes. I lost control and I recognise it was wrong.

Lodge reacts as he is sent to the sin bin following the fight. Picture: Getty

“Off season has come at a good time for me to go away address some issues and work on it to ensure I can handle situations like today better in the future.

“Thank you for the season and sorry for the way it finished today and to anyone I let down. Especially my family and @nzwarriors.

“But I’ll go to bed, cuddle my kids, take the lessons learnt and restart tomorrow.”

Unleash the beast: Titans urge Fifita step up

By Travis Meyn and Peter Badel

Titans coach Justin Holbrook has been urged to unleash David Fifita against the Warriors amid revelations the Gold Coast’s $1.1 million man is battling a secret rib injury.

The Titans will host one of the biggest games in their 15-season history when they take on New Zealand at Cbus Super Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

They must beat the Warriors by at least 12 points to finish the regular season in the top eight and play NRL finals football for the first time since 2016.

The pressure is high but it is an achievable task against a Warriors team that is out of finals contention and with seemingly little to play for.

Holbrook has come under fire for starting Fifita, the club’s highest-paid player, on the bench in five of the Gold Coast’s last six games.

David Fifita had his ribs strapped against the Knights. Picture: NRL Photos.

The Titans have lost their past three matches and Fifita did not get on the field until 30 minutes into last week’s crucial loss to Newcastle, scoring a try within minutes.

Fifita was sporting heavy strapping on his ribs in the Knights game, with the Titans attempting to hide a painful injury over the past few weeks.

But Holbrook has been urged to unleash the Gold Coast’s top try-scorer (15) this year from the opening whistle against the Warriors.

“With Titans still in the hunt and this game coming down to for-and-against, forget waiting until the 30th minute to throw Dave into the action,” said former Queensland forward Scott Sattler, the Titans’ foundation football manager.

“He has to start straight away. If I’m Justin Holbrook, I would say ‘you are playing the full 80 minutes’ and just tell him to rip and tear.

“I want to see the headline ‘big Dave Fifita leads the Titans into the finals’.”

Fifita trained in a non-contact pink bid on Saturday, with Holbrook admitting the 110kg was “sore” due to an injury he has been carrying.

But the second-year coach refused to bow to pressure to start Fifita, insisting the Titans only needed impact from their star signing and he wasn’t worried about the 12-point deficit.

That could change though with co-captain Kevin Proctor (shoulder) in doubt, opening the door for Fifita to start.

Fifita has been hard to handle at times. Picture: Getty Images.

“Eighty minutes is not what we need from him. We need impact,” Holbrook said.

“I’m likely to keep him coming off the bench like we’ve done.

“He’s been a bit sore there for a while. He’s getting better. He will be right.

“We’ve got to win the game and play well. To chase 12 points is not the easiest thing to be worrying about during a game but we can’t focus on that.

“It’s the position we’re in, we know we’re in it, but at least we’ve got a chance.”

If the Titans don’t reach the magical 12-point win margin they will miss the finals for the fifth straight year.

That would be considered a failure after last year’s ninth-placed finish, minimal injuries this season, a favourable draw and the recruitment of Queensland Origin duo Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Fifita.

The $3.5 million Fifita signing has been a constant narrative throughout 2021 for the Titans, with the bustling backrower attracting headlines for various reasons.

Fifita started his Titans career with a bang, scoring nine tries in the first seven rounds to set the Gold Coast on track for a drought-breaking finals appearance.

But his form dipped heading into State of Origin and opposition defences have figured out how to limit his impact by monstering him in numbers.

His try-scoring rate has fallen to six in the past 13 games and Sattler said Fifita should have been dropped during his form slide.

Fifita has scored 15 tries this season. Picture: Getty Images.

“I would have dropped him a few weeks ago, I would have left him out of the 17 completely,” he said.

“It could have been a wake-up call and a significant moment in Dave’s development, to realise that you aren’t a protected species and sometimes you don’t get things your own way and you have to work really hard to succeed in the NRL.

“Some tough love would rattle the cage for Dave and put everyone on notice at the Titans that no-one is too big for this club and we won’t shield anyone if we aren’t getting the performances we require.

“He hasn’t reached the heights the Titans would have anticipated. Statistically, Dave hasn’t been that bad when you consider he has scored 15 tries and has had a stack of tackle busts (146). But with a big salary comes big responsibility and that responsibility means being one of the leaders of the team, whether it sits comfortably with you or not.

“I think the Titans would have liked a bit more in year one and I would like to see more from David Fifita. I want his performances to have some sustainability and I don’t think we are seeing that at the moment.”

The downside of the Titans still being in the finals hunt is club legend Anthony Don being denied a farewell game.

Don was a chance of being picked if the Titans had been knocked out of finals contention, but will instead farewell fans from the sidelines following 152 games and a club record 85 tries.

Originally published as NRL 2021: Warriors prop Matt Lodge apology over Gold Coast Titans fight