Sport Confidential: Matt Lodge opens up on Sea Eagles exit, Payne Haas weighs up Kangaroos future
Matt Lodge has revealed the reason he rejected Manly’s contract extension offer and where his future lies while Payne Haas has dropped a representative bombshell. That and more in Sport Confidential.
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Matt Lodge has confirmed he has quit Manly but the former Broncos enforcer insists his NRL career is not over.
The controversial prop is adamant he will not be forced into early retirement and will definitely be playing in the NRL next season.
Lodge was hoping to stay at the Sea Eagles next season, but the parties were unable to agree terms after Manly tabled a two-year deal worth around $150,000 a season.
Lodge has played for five NRL clubs since his debut for Wests Tigers in 2014 and is poised to ink a deal with his sixth team.
Lodge refused to disclose the identity of the club – he has been linked with the Dragons – but insists he will not be moving to the English Super League.
“I will definitely be playing in the NRL next year,” he said.
“It’s good to know I will have my future sorted.
“I had a tough start to the year but when I got healthy, I finished the year well with Manly.
“If I didn’t know I had plenty left in the tank, I wouldn’t be playing on, but I’m excited about the years ahead and I will be ready to go next year.”
The 29-year-old prop accepts the Sea Eagles have salary-cap pressures and has no issue with Manly coach Anthony Seibold.
“They offered me a two-year deal,” he said.
“They wanted me to play that starting role with Taniela (Paseka), but it takes a toll on your body doing that.
“It was a lot to ask to do two years as a starting front-rower for minimum wage.
“I really thought about it, I wanted to meet them in the middle somewhere, but they had no salary cap space.
“I am fine with ‘Seibs’ and everyone at Manly, but I can’t play for that amount when that sort of money is given to a kid just coming out of a school who hasn’t played a game of NRL.
“I loved the club and the squad of players, but I have four boys and bills to pay, so I had to look after my future.”
HAAS CONTEMPLATES KANGAROOS DEFECTION
Mal Meninga’s champion Australian team could be rocked by another big-name defection with Broncos superstar Payne Haas weighing up his representative future in green and gold.
Haas has played four Tests for Australia since his 2019 debut, but the monster Broncos enforcer may have played his last game for the Kangaroos as Samoa continue to lure a host of big names.
Samoa coach Ben Gardiner was confident of having Haas on deck for the Pacific nation’s recent tour of England, only for the Broncos forward to be deemed unavailable due to foot surgery.
The same injury also ruled him out of the Pacific Championships tournament, which Australia won with their 20-14 defeat of Tonga in the final last Sunday.
Samoa have pulled off a number of poaching coups in recent years, with Penrith champions Jarome Luai and Brian To’o having shunned Australia to represent their family’s heritage.
Now Haas is another Origin and Test star in Samoa’s sights and Brisbane’s $1 million man was noncommittal when asked if he had pledged his allegiance to the second-tier minnows.
“I haven’t made up my mind,” Haas said. “I knew I was injured (for the recent Test matches), so I didn’t have to make a decision, but when I do make up my mind, you will know straight away.”
Haas is of Swiss, Filipino and Samoa descent and, like many Polynesian NRL stars, says he is proud of his heritage.
“I love my Samoan side,” he said. “I grew up around that Samoan heritage all my life through my mum, so it’s close to my heart.
“It’s great to see them do well on the world stage in rugby league.
“It does make me proud to watch Samoa doing well, but I haven’t made up my mind on the rep stuff yet.”
WALKER ENDORSES HUNT PURSUIT
Injured Sydney Roosters young gun Sam Walker has endorsed the club’s pursuit of Ben Hunt and is relishing the prospect of joining forces with the Queensland Origin star at Bondi next season.
Walker will be sidelined for another six or seven months after undergoing a knee reconstruction and takes no offence at the Roosters targeting Hunt to bolster their playmaking stocks in 2025.
As revealed by this masthead, Hunt’s preference is to remain in Sydney – opening the door for Canterbury and the Roosters, who are set to meet with the former St George Illawarra skipper.
With Walker set to be sidelined until at least June, the Roosters need back up at the scrumbase, with Hunt shaping as a halfback or hooking option to support Sandon Smith and Chad Townsend.
Walker is the Roosters’ first-choice playmaker and the wily No.7 urged coach Trent Robinson to go hard for Hunt, saying he would be a valuable asset in the Chooks’ quest to win their first premiership since 2019.
Asked if he hopes Hunt ends up at Bondi, Walker said: “Yeah, for sure.
“Benny Hunt is one of the best players running around in the NRL and if we can add someone of his quality into our team that would be a huge boost.”
The Roosters appear to have the salary-cap space to accommodate Hunt following the off-season departures of Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Joey Manu, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and Walker’s ex-halves partner Luke Keary.
That’s more than $2 million in contract value and while others, such as Walker, required upgrades, Hunt’s value, estimated to be around $700,000 to $900,000 a season, is not beyond the Roosters’ reach.
The Broncos and Dolphins are also keen to lure Hunt back to Queensland, but the Roosters rarely lose out in a bidding war.
The 34-year-old is one of the most versatile players in the league and would be a crucial contingency for the Roosters given his ability to cover for Walker and Brandon Smith (knee) by playing halfback, hooker or five-eighth.
While the Dolphins have around $1.3 million free in the salary cap, one major attraction for Hunt is conquering his final frontier – winning an NRL premiership.
The Broncos and Roosters both have the rosters to help Hunt, who is keen to play two more seasons, achieve that goal in his twilight years.
Walker says he wouldn’t feel threatened if the Roosters won Hunt’s signature.
“I have no issue with it at all,” he said.
“It would be massive for us as a club to get Ben.”
“He’s played Origin and Test footy, he’s pretty much done it all in the game, so if Ben Hunt wants to come to the Roosters, I wouldn’t say no.”
Walker snapped his ACL in September on the eve of the NRL finals and is currently in Queensland visiting family.
The 22-year-old also underwent a shoulder reconstruction and says his recovery is progressing well.
“It’s been tough,” he said.
“I’ve just got out of the knee brace and having the sling collar (around his shoulder) was a bit tough, but it’s not too bad now.
“I’ll go back to training and do about a month before Christmas and put as much strength in my body as I can.”
FLASH GORDON
Former Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan believes Wallabies defector Carter Gordon will be a smash hit in the NRL next season.
Gordon has kicked-off his first pre-season with the Titans following his code switch and Gold Coast coach Des Hasler is confident the 23-year-old can hit the ground running in rugby league.
Gordon played eight Tests for the Wallabies and the Titans are banking on him to inject some playmaking youth and spark to their scrumbase in 2025.
McLennan, the ex-RA chair who brokered the $5 million signing of Roosters whiz-kid Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, says Gordon will succeed at the Titans.
“It was crazy to lose Carter to rugby league,” he said.
“It’s a huge blow. Our weakest position was 10 (fly half) in the Wallabies team and now we have lost another player of potential.
“Carter will go really well in the NRL. He is much taller and stronger than people think. The games are very different but Carter has good skill and his defence will really improve in the NRL.
“I think league will toughen up his defensive game and he has got a good boot, too.
“He has the size to handle himself in defence so I think the Titans have got a good recruit.
“I never wanted to lose him, no way. It’s a real blow for Australian rugby. He had a real future with the Wallabies.”
TITANS TURFED OUT
The Gold Coast Titans have been kicked out of their home ground by a bunch of punks.
American band Green Day will turn Cbus Super Stadium into a Boulevard of Broken Dreams for the Titans in the lead-up to round 1 of the 2025 NRL Premiership.
The American Idiot trio will close out a three-stop Australian tour in Robina on Wednesday, March 5.
That is the day before the remaining round 1 fixtures will kick-off following the NRL’s second Las Vegas venture on March 1.
The playing surface at Cbus could be a Basket Case for a few days following the concert.
The 2025 draw will be released next week and the Titans are expecting to play their first match on the road.
They’ll say Good Riddance to the Green Day and hopefully be back on the Gold Coast for round 2.
GOOD KNIGHT FOR PHINS?
The Dolphins could be a possible destination for Knights prop Leo Thompson.
The New Zealand bookend is off-contract at season’s end and will ramp up talks on his future after completing his Test commitments with the Kiwis at the recent Pacific Championships.
The 24-year-old is a man in demand with the Bulldogs and Tigers eyeing off Thompson, who started in every one of his 23 appearances last season.
Newcastle are keen to retain Thompson but they face stiff competition from several rivals including the Dolphins.
The Dolphins have around $1.3 million to spend in the salary cap and have been aggressive in the player market, with coach Kristian Woolf keen to talk to former Dragons skipper Ben Hunt.
The Dolphins are keen to add youth to their ageing forward pack and Thompson is one of the most promising props in the code.
DES MAKES TITANIC CALL
Titans coach Des Hasler has made a call on his support staff after putting them on audition last season.
Hasler has decided to retain all of his key lieutenants after running his eye over them for the past year.
Hasler inherited a core support group of staff from former Gold Coast coach Justin Holbrook and brought in Michael Monaghan from Manly.
Monaghan will be back next season and Hasler has decided to retain fellow assistants Jim Lenihan, Brett White and Brad Davis.
Recruitment chief Ezra Howe is also still calling the shots but is no longer involved on-field at training like he was under Holbrook.
WOOLF RIPS IN
New Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf has wasted no time getting ready for his first season in the NRL.
Woolf finished up his commitments with Tonga in Sunday’s thrilling Pacific Championships final loss to Australia in Sydney.
By Monday he was back on deck at Redcliffe, ripping into his first pre-season in charge of the NRL expansion club.
Woolf is the latest coach to take over from Wayne Bennett and history suggests he is up against it.
But the hardworking coach will give himself every opportunity to succeed after getting straight back to his NRL job.
DEVILS BURN TITLE COACH
Dave Elliott could be the unluckiest coach in Australian sport.
Elliott coached the Norths Devils to this year’s Hostplus Cup premiership and then the State Championship, becoming the first Queensland team in a decade to beat the NSW Cup premiers.
But his double delight wasn’t enough to save his job at the Devils, even after he inked a two-year contract extension in August.
Elliott has been axed to make way for the return of prodigal son and Norths favourite Rohan Smith, who coached the Devils to their 2021 Hostplus Cup title.
The Devils beat Redcliffe in this year’s Hostplus Cup grand final then won the State Championship against the Newtown Jets on October 6.
Four days later the club announced Elliott was departing and being replaced by Smith, the son of former NRL coach Brian Smith.
It was a brutal and bold decision by those in charge of the powerhouse Brisbane club but Elliott had been given notice of the decision.
Smith returns to the Devils following a turbulent two years in the Super League with Leeds and will be under pressure to deliver following the big decision to punt Elliott.
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