Sports Confidential: Matt Lodge leaves Brisbane Broncos to join Warriors
The Brisbane Broncos have offloaded Matt Lodge and his massive contract to an NRL rival while the Roosters have opted to let one of their most versatile forwards depart.
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Matt Lodge will be a Warrior just days after Brisbane coach Kevin Walters declared ‘no Bronco would be going anywhere’.
Weeks of prolonged negotiations have finally come to an end with Lodge granted an early release from his rich Bronco deal to ink a contract to join the Warriors immediately. It is understood the deal is for the next 2 ½ years.
The Titans have also snatched Roosters premiership winner Isaac Liu.
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Lodge was close to joining the Knights last month only for that deal to fall over at the last minute. His talks with the Warriors have been on and off in recent weeks too but the deal is finally across the line. The move will enable the Broncos to register the contract of Kurt Capewell who Brisbane trumpeted on a three year deal from next season.
Lodge could have remained a Bronco until 2024 on a contract worth about $800,000 a season. The Broncos will pay about $1 million in the coming years while the Warriors deal is worth about $500,000 a season.
Bizarrely the end of Lodge’s contract stand-off came in the same week Walters wanted to put an end to talk of mid-season movement.
Walters said “he told Matt and his manager that he’s not going anywhere.”
“He’ll be staying here,” Walters said. We just need to get some security, some safety around the players on their futures and that’s the decision we’ve made, so yeah,” Walters said.
“The uncertainty was probably one of the factors among the playing group and who’s staying, who’s going, so we put it in a basket and put it to the side. No one’s going anywhere.”
Tevita Pangai Jnr was also told by Walters that he needs to see out the season but is still on the radar of rival clubs.
Lodge won’t play against the Sharks on Sunday but will be free to play against Cronulla in round 17 when they face the Warriors. New Zealand have now added Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Chad Townsend in recent weeks.
In other player movement news, the Titans have signed Liu on a three-year deal to join Gold Coast’s already impressive forward pack. Liu has won two competitions at the Roosters and should crack the 200 game mark for the club this year.
The 30-year-old Kiwi and Samoan international is expected to link with the Gold Coast for the next three seasons from next year.
His departure continues the changing of the guard at the Roosters. Only Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Victor Radley and Sam Verrills remain from the starting pack in their 2019 grand final win against Canberra.
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If this week's #nrl toons don't hit the spot i'm blaming #lockdown. You don't have to be beaten by NSW to have the blues. A taste of my toons for Sports confidential @telegraph_sport@MCarayannis@JamiePandarampic.twitter.com/AndqcRDsIV
— Scott Bailey (@BooBaileyTele) July 1, 2021
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INCORPRATING rugby league related drills and phrases has become a key component in the NRL’s state of mind program. This years campaign was launched this week encouraging people to be there for an offload - should a friend, relative or colleague need support.
The campaign has taken extra importance this year given the impact lock down’s can have on mental health.
Former Canberra skipper Alan Tongue, who works and delivers the NRL’s state of mind program, said incorporating rugby league themes had helped.
“When you use rugby league it’s a universal language which opens up pathways for us,” Tongue said. “The off-loading drill in the workshop is one of the drills we do in our grass roots program. We throw them the footy and in the drill you have to make as many off-loads as possible…it becomes rewarding.
“We then workshop that and have a chat about finding a safe space with a mate who is doing it tough.”
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MANLY are surging up the premiership ladder and now they are ensuring their high-flying side sticks together.
The Sea Eagles have locked down in-form outside backs Reuben Garrick and Brad Parker on new two year deals. Garrick is on track to finish the season as the leading point-scorer in the competition following Nathan Cleary’s shoulder injury.
Local product Parker has become a mainstay of the Sea Eagles backline and should hit 100 top grade games for the club next season should he remain injury free.
The duo’s re-commitment comes after Manly locked down Sean Keppie (2024), Josh Schuster (2024), Haumole Olakau’ata (2024) and Toafofoa Sipley (2023) to long-term deals.
Manly boss Stephen Humphreys said it was important to keep the playing squad together.
“We are excited to know that such a large part of our current squad can continue to work together and with coach Des Hasler in the coming years, improving their skills and combinations and competing for the ultimate success,” Humphreys said. “I congratulate all of the boys on their new deals which are thoroughly deserved.”
It is understood off-contract hooker Lachlan Croker is closing in on a new deal while centre Morgan Harper will also get a contract extension even though he has a year to go on his current contract.
The sixth-placed Sea Eagles now have a large chunk of their squad locked in for multiple seasons. Dylan Walker and Curtis Sironen remain the only two big-names off-contract while the club has a contract in its favour for Kieran Foran.
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ORIGIN III is Newcastle’s to lose. The NRL is prepared to lock-in State of Origin III in the Hunter should the NSW government stump up the cash the game will lose by not being able to play it at Sydney Olympic Park.
The Olympic stadium is next to no chance of keeping the third game on July 14 with fears lock-out could be extended in Sydney and fans locked out. Newcastle is the logical choice if the NSW government plays ball. If not, Melbourne could be a chance to host the game after missing out on Origin I because of Covid-19. The ARL Commission has shown its hand – that it will grant the game to the highest bidder after allowing the Queensland government to stump $8 million to snatch game one in Townsville.
Newcastle will be able to host matches at 50 per cent capacity this week.
Regional NSW seems unlikely unless the NSW Government tips in a mega amount for a venue such as Mudgee to play host.
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GARETH Widdop’s on-again off-again NRL return seems on hold again for now. Widdop has been plotting a return to Australia for about 18 months but it now looks like the former St George Illawarra skipper is going to re-commit to Warrington. The Raiders and the Warriors were the most recent clubs to express an interest in Widdop but negotiations did not progress.
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THE Raiders are continuing their re-signing spree with impressive young forward Trey Mooney set to accept a contract extension at the club. Mooney’s re-signing is expected to go with new deals for halfback Brad Schneider and Matt Timoko.
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IVAN Cleary has been a hard man to contact this week after the Panthers coach left his phone in Brisbane in the mad scramble to make it back to Sydney this week.
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Basketball superstar Ben Simmons this week pulled out of Australia’s Olympic team the Tokyo Games and we think we know where the 24-year-old will spend the NBA off-season.
Simmons has reportedly splashed out $23.3 million on a house in the gated community of Hidden Hills in California — on the opposite side of the US from Philadelphia, where he plays for the NBA’s 76ers.
Could this be a hint at move to a new team with it widely reported he is set to be traded after in the fallout from some of his playoff performances. The ‘modern farmhouse’ property has two swimming pools, three kitchens and 12,000 square feet of living space. No basketball court on the property to help improve his shooting game though.
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ALL EYES ON?
The race for the vacant NSW no.7 jersey. Can Mitchell Moses impress against the Panthers? Should Adam Reynolds be rewarded for his form?
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FLASHBACK
Rookie Cronulla prop Luke Douglas was compared to Shane Webcke on this day 15 years ago. Douglas was 14 games into his NRL career when he was compared with one of the game’s best forwards. He went on to become one of the game’s most durable players featuring in 263 top grade games – including a record 215 straight matches.
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BLAST FROM THE PAST
Gary Freeman 152 top grade games (52 Balmain, 35 Eastern Suburbs, 44 Penrith, 21 Parramatta) from 1988-1996 plus 46 Tests for New Zealand
IF it wasn’t for his small boot size, Gary Freeman would have made a shock comeback at the age of 36. Freeman has kept this a closely guarded secret until now. He was working with former teammate Wayne Pearce at the Tigers in 1999 where Pearce was coach and was struggling to find a halfback halfback. Freeman put his hand up to make a return.
“I said to Junior (Pearce) just give me a run,” Freeman said. “If I go bad, I go bad. I had done all the pre-season training with them. We were running up sanddunes and the players had a bet I would be the first one out. I was the second one out.
“We had a trial game in Orange and I forgot my boots. I had tiny feet so I couldn’t borrow anyone elses. Thank god – it probably saved me a bit of embarrassment.”
The Tigers went on to sign Craig Field. Freeman started his Australian career at the Tigers but was close to joining the Knights when he arrived in Australia in 1988.
Back then you needed to have a minimum of six Tests for the Kiwis to join the NSW Rugby League.
“I had to play the last Test in 1987 otherwise I would have been ineligible for another year,” Freeman said. “I was sitting on the bench and with 10 minutes to go I was pleading with coach Tony Gordon to put me on. He was gracious enough to get me on the field so I could qualify.
“Newcastle were chasing me from day one but starting at a new club was going to be a struggle.”
Freeman battled in the early stages of his stint and spent a large chunk of his first season in reserve grade.
“I thought I was going OK in reserve grade so I went up to (coach) Warren Ryan and asked for a crack,” Freeman said. “I asked for five games and he gave me zero. I then went to training on the Thursday night and I was back in.”
Freeman went on to be part of successive grand final losses at the Tigers.
“After 1989 I had to fly out the next day to tour England and France with the Kiwis,” Freeman said. “It was lonely. You tend to think back about things that happened in the game and what you could have done different.”
Freeman switched to the Roosters for two seasons in 1992 where he became the first Kiwi to win the Dally M. He wanted to join the Warriors in 1995 but was unable to secure a one year deal so he moved to the Panthers.
Freeman, who went on to coach the Kiwis, finished his career with a year at Parramatta.
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