NRL 2021: Broncos payout makes prop Matt Lodge game’s richest player
Broncos discard Matt Lodge has surpassed Daly Cherry-Evans on the NRL rich list thanks to his former club. SPORT CONFIDENTIAL
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Brisbane discard Matt Lodge has become the highest-paid player in the NRL thanks to an extraordinary $1 million-plus payout from the Broncos.
Sport Confidential can reveal Lodge has leapfrogged Daly Cherry-Evans, Ben Hunt and James Tedesco as the NRL’s top salary earner – at least for this season – after securing a mind-blowing severance package with the Broncos.
Lodge made his Warriors debut a fortnight ago against Cronulla and Brisbane were so desperate to offload the controversial prop they gave him a monster payout that equates to a $1.3 million farewell gift.
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It is understood the Warriors chipped in with around $150,000 for the final four months, meaning Lodge’s total salary for the 2021 season is almost $1.5 million, dwarfing Cherry-Evans ($1.17m), Hunt ($1.1m) and Tedesco ($1.1m).
Lodge was the beneficiary of a long-term deal at the Broncos. He was on around $800,000 this season, but was contracted for another three seasons at Brisbane, including a two-year option in his favour, giving him security until the end of 2024.
Lodge stood to earn almost $3 million over a four-year term at the Broncos, who have decided to cut their losses with one of the most lucrative severance packages in NRL history.
Thankfully for the Broncos, the $1 million-plus payout is not wholly included in their salary cap for this season. Under NRL rules, a club can spread out a payout over the term of a player’s contract under the cap, meaning Brisbane’s salary cap next year will not take a massive hit.
Upon his arrival at the Warriors, Lodge confirmed the Kiwi club had secured him at a bargain price thanks to Brisbane’s subsidised payment.
“With Broncos paying a fair bit of the salary, I get to come cheap with not a whole heap of pressure on me and slot in at a reasonable wage and do my job,” he said.
“I just want to slot in and earn the respect of everyone I play with here – that’s a big thing for me.
“It feels a lot better coming here on half-price ... hopefully I can just play well and that’s not a problem.”
The Brisbane Fire Jets?
Could there be another amalgamation of the bid teams vying to become Brisbane’s 2nd NRL club?
Speculation has surfaced that the Brisbane Firehawks and Jets could form a new super bid to challenge the Redcliffe Dolphins.
The Firehawks have proposed that the western corridor, the centre of the Jets’ bid, will be a target area of theirs if they are granted the NRL’s 17th licence.
The Jets have been accused of having financial issues, which they deny, while the Firehawks are flush with cash due to the backing of Easts Leagues Club.
Jets bid chief Nick Livermore wouldn’t rule out a possible joining of forces but stressed there had been no formal talks.
“We haven’t formally been approached but we would never say no to anything that can benefit the game,” he said.
“We would need to know more details from the Firehawks about what benefit joining forces could be to the growth of the game.
“At this stage our bid has gone to the NRL and so has the Firehawks, so we’re awaiting further direction from the NRL on the expansion process.”
Expansion for the 2023 NRL season is hanging by a thread due to the huge financial issues the game is facing at the moment.
World Cup under major threat
This year’s rugby league World Cup could be on death’s door after the world-champion Australian team and New Zealand withdrew from the gala tournament.
The ARL Commission and New Zealand Rugby League backed the views of the NRL’s 16 clubs, who were opposed to releasing their players to represent Australia, New Zealand, Tonga and Samoa given the welfare threat posed by the global Covid crisis.
The World Cup in England is slated to kick-off on October 23 with 16 teams playing 31 matches and the UK government is putting pressure on organisers for the showpiece tournament to go ahead.
But the decision from the Kangaroos and the Kiwis not to participate in the tournament has intensified calls for the World Cup to be postponed until 2022.
The NRL had to relocate their competition to Queensland to keep the Telstra Premiership alive and many players would be reluctant to travel to the northern hemisphere during the Covid crisis.
“Not participating in this year’s World Cup is not a decision the Commission has taken lightly, but we must put the best interests of our players and officials first. Protecting them is our absolute priority,’’ ARLC boss Peter V’landys said.
“In the current environment, the risks to the safety, health and wellbeing of the players and officials travelling from Australia to participate in the tournament this year are insurmountable. The majority of NRL players are currently living away from home under difficult biosecurity protocols. They would then be required to remain under protocols and away from home for the duration of the tournament before again quarantining on return to Australia. This is too much to ask our players and officials to do.
“We have again requested the IRL and Rugby League World Cup consider postponing the event until 2022 to enable all players to participate.”
Milford set to stay put
Anthony Milford’s rumoured move to Parramatta is set to collapse with the Broncos’ $1 million man tipped to finish the season at Red Hill.
Milford will not be re-signed by the Broncos beyond this season and the Eels last week held talks with Brisbane chiefs about a possible immediate switch before the NRL’s August 2 transfer deadline.
But Milford’s manager Sam Ayoub says there is no guarantee the five-eighth will quit Broncos in the next 10 days, even if the maligned playmaker fails to return to the Brisbane starting side this season.
“Parramatta are one of four clubs who have expressed interest, but we have to work out what’s best for Milf for the rest of this year and beyond,” he said.
“If we move him to another club this year, then we have to wait and see if another club signs him for next year.
“I don’t know if that is necessarily such a good look.
“Is Parramatta a good choice because he could potentially play finals footy? What if he doesn’t get a game there because they have starting halves and he makes the move for no reason?
“They are things we have to weigh up.
“Contrary to all the stuff being written, there’s no guarantee Milf is leaving the Broncos immediately.
“There could be merit in him starting afresh at another club next year.”
Broncos coach Kevin Walters says there is no bad blood with Milford and hopes he can find a new home next season.
“Anthony has played some decent footy but I feel it’s in his interests to find a club outside of Brisbane,” he said.
“My suggestion was to find a strong Sydney club.
“I feel his future is best served at another club and while Anthony was disappointed to hear that news, he was in agreement on it. He certainly has a career in the NRL and I think it’s in his best interests to find a clean slate at another club.”
‘Shillo’ helping kick goals
Former Queensland Origin prop David Shillington is doing his bit to help the less fortunate.
Starting next Thursday, Shillington, via his company Wellbeing Code, will hold a six-week Kicking Goals program to help special-needs people registered with the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
Shillington will be helped by Broncos women’s star Millie Boyle and a psychologist as part of a program that gives NDIS participants a chance to connect with sporting clubs across Australia through fun training initiatives.
The Broncos will be the first club to formally partner with Wellbeing Code in a sign of Brisbane’s commitment to helping disadvantaged Australians.
The Titans are another NRL club who have done an outstanding job with their support for Gold Coast’s physical disability rugby league team.
Footy heads rural
The NRL is set to take games to rural venues in Queensland in what will be a huge boost for league fans across the state.
Next Thursday night’s Eels-Roosters blockbuster has been pencilled in to be played in Mackay.
The NRL has been assessing whether it is logistically possible to play the game at BB Print Stadium, but locals are confident it will go ahead.
The only impediment is getting broadcast equipment to the venue.
The NRL and broadcasters have been able to minimise costs by playing double headers in south east Queensland.
They want to take matches to the regions but have to be realistic about the costs involved given the huge impact Covid has had on the NRL’s finances.
PVL’s trash talk
ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys had a close shave on Thursday after narrowly avoiding a potentially horrific car crash with a garbage truck.
V’landys was driving into work when a council garbage truck ran a red light at full steam and nearly cleaned-up the ARL Commission boss, who showed the evasive skills that made him a flying winger in his youth.
It would have been the code’s greatest trucking disaster since 1987, when the late great Bob Fulton told referee Bill Harrigan he hoped a cement truck would run him over after claiming Manly were dudded in a game.
Gagai urged to become a Bronco
Queensland Origin utility Kurt Capewell hopes his Maroons teammate Dane Gagai will buy into the vision for the Broncos and follow him to lead a Red Hill revolution.
Capewell will get a glimpse of the future when the Panthers ace takes on the Broncos club he will join next season in Saturday’s Penrith-Brisbane showdown at Suncorp Stadium.
And Capewell hopes Gagai will also be in Broncos colours next season as the South Sydney centre prepares to make a call on his future.
Gagai remains off-contract and has fielded an expression of interest from the Broncos, who only have limited funds under the salary cap and cannot win a bidding war for his services.
But Capewell believes the signing of Gagai would be a major coup for a Broncos club who could benefit from his 19-game Origin career and 218 matches of NRL experience.
“Dane would be great for the Broncos,” Capewell said.
“If outside backs can model their game around the way Dane plays, those younger outside backs at the Broncos will improve in leaps and bounds.
“Off the field, Dane is a family man and he is a good bloke to have around the club.
“He is the type of bloke you want over for a BBQ and they are the types of guys I like playing with.”
Ball boys on notice
The NRL has put club ball boys on notice following a series of issues.
Due to the Covid bubble, traditional ball kids at games have been replaced by NRL players that aren’t taking part in games.
The likes of South Sydney star Latrell Mitchell and Titans fan favourite Anthony Don have been acting as ball boys for their clubs.
But the NRL hasn’t been entirely happy with the conduct of some of the ball boys, who have been getting involved in celebrations with their teammates.
NRL head of football Graham Annesley reminded clubs of the ball boys’ duties earlier this week.
“In terms of what you can and can’t do (as a ball boy), you’ve got to remain quite controlled,” he said.
“Not too exuberant. Not start barracking, or cheering or encouraging or directing, issuing instructions.
“Do the job you’ve been asked to do and I know it’s not their normal job. It is something they need to keep in the back of their minds.”
Thumbs up to NRL staff
Shout out to the NRL staff who have been working around the clock to keep the game going.
To shift 13 teams to Queensland and not miss a beat has taken an enormous amount of work by many people.
The game has been led brilliantly by ARLC chairman Peter V’landys and NRL CEO Andrew Abdo at the top level.
Head of football Graham Annesley and his team has also been working tirelessly to ensure everything is in place from a logistics point of view to keep the premiership going.
They all deserve a thumbs up for their work to keep the season running in the face of adversity.
Green gets high-level support
Paul Green and Kevin Walters once competed for the Queensland Origin job but ‘Kevvie’ has thrown his support behind his coaching rival to remain in the Maroons hot seat next season.
Green’s first series as Queensland coach this season was a nightmare with the Maroons losing 2-1 to NSW as the former Cowboys mentor dealt with injury dramas, the Ronaldo Mulitalo eligibility saga and the Jai Arrow Covid scandal.
There were rumours of an unhappy Queensland dressing-room, but former Maroons coach Walters hopes the QRL sticks with Green for a fightback in 2022.
Green originally won the Maroons post over Walters in 2016, only for Walters to eventually get the nod after the Cowboys expressed concerns about Green juggling club and Origin jobs.
“I was particularly happy for Greeny to get that win (in Game Three),” Walters said.
“He was under a lot of pressure and I have been in that position, not so much as the blowtorch that Greeny had on him, but it was great to see him and the players get the win which takes the pressure off.
“I hope he stays on. Coaching is tough at Origin level, but Paul won Game Three when he had some quality players back in the side.
“Guys like Kalyn Ponga and Benny Hunt had good games so there is some promise from Queensland’s point of view.
“I wish Paul all the best. I think he did a great job.”
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