NRL 2020: Paul White says Matt Lodge still in line for captaincy

Broncos boss Paul White says Matt Lodge’s ‘time will come’ as skipper of the club, as Anthony Seibold reveals why he picked Alex Glenn over Darius Boyd.

• COLMAN: Broncos make right move with Glenn

• ORIGIN: We profile our emerging Origin stars

The Broncos view controversial prop Matt Lodge as a potential future captain of the club as coach Anthony Seibold revealed his reasons for stripping Darius Boyd of the duties.

Kiwi international Alex Glenn was unveiled as the 11th captain in the history of the Brisbane Broncos.

Glenn has replaced Boyd after he was axed by Seibold in September last year following Brisbane’s record 58-0 finals loss to Parramatta.

Seibold opted to shake-up the Broncos’ leadership ahead of his second season in charge of the club and Boyd has been the major casualty following three years as captain.

Watch the 2020 NRL Nines tournament LIVE & On-Demand on KAYO. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >

Glenn, 31, is contracted to the Broncos until the end of the 2021 season and is unlikely to be a long-term captain.

Speculation surfaced following Brisbane’s finals defeat that Lodge was being groomed to take over the captaincy.

Matt Lodge leads the team at Broncos training this week. Picture: Annette Dew

Lodge, 24, has resurrected his NRL career at the Broncos over the past two years after being briefly banished from the game in 2015 following a violent rampage in New York.

Broncos players view Lodge as one of the club’s natural on-field leaders, but he is still a polarising figure among fans.

Broncos CEO Paul White denied the club’s board vetoed a move to appoint Lodge as captain, but admitted he was an emerging leader.

“Not at all, Lodgey has been a part of our leadership group, almost since he got here,” White said.

“He works closely with Seibs, the coaching staff and everyone within the organisation.

“Matt is highly-regarded within our organisation. I’ve got a close personal relationship with him because we’ve gone through a bit together.

“Lodgey’s time will come. He’s part of that leadership group.

“Lexi (Glenn) is the obvious choice and right choice at this time for our club.”

Boyd, 32, could be viewed as somewhat of a scapegoat for Brisbane’s horror finals exit, but his place in Brisbane’s best 17 is up for debate.

While his form and effort came under scrutiny last year, Boyd has played 317 NRL games and been a star for the Maroons and Kangaroos.

Seibold said he wanted to alleviate the pressure on Boyd this year.

“It was my decision, he took it like a man,” Seibold said.

“Darius has done a terrific job as the captain over the last 12 months in challenging times for us as a club.

“One thing I saw in my first year was there was a lot of external noise and pressure on Darius. He handled that quite well, but I thought it was unforgiving.

“What I wanted to do for Darius, being a legend of this club and game, was take some of those commitments away. He doesn’t need to do all the external things that a club captain has to do.

“I wanted to take some of the pressure and spotlight off Darius and allow him to enjoy his rugby league at the end of his career.”

Boyd remains in the Broncos’ leadership group alongside Tevita Pangai Jr, Brodie Croft, Pat Carrigan, Payne Haas, Lodge and Glenn.

Coach Anthony Seibold and Darius Boyd talk during a Brisbane Broncos training session. Picture: AAP Image/Jono Searle

“Darius is someone I lean on a lot. I talk to him about a lot of things. It hasn’t changed his mentality one iota,” Seibold said.

“He’s known since last September he wouldn’t be the captain this year. It’s a long time for him to keep that to himself.

“It hasn’t altered his attitude or actions. He’s very supportive of Alex and the other young leaders.

Alex Glenn has a special announcement: pic.twitter.com/nskbuXWNRd

— Brisbane Broncos (@brisbanebroncos) January 23, 2020

“I’m very protective of him and have stood up for him a number of times when he’s been in the spotlight for, in my eyes, unfair reasons.

“He has got great strategies in place to cope with the highs and lows of professional sport.

“He wants what’s best for the club. He’s always been a team person and that’s what he said to me.

“He said ‘if you think that’s the best decision for the club then I’m all-in’.”