Former Bronco Matt Lodge denies there is any rift with coach Kevin Walters

In a bizarre ending to his time at the Broncos, Matt Lodge went from being assured of his future to moved on in a matter of days. But is he bitter?

Broncos coach Kevin Walters at Brisbane Broncos NRL training at Red Hill, Saturday, July 3, 2021 – Picture: Richard Walker

Matt Lodge has denied there is a rift with Kevin Walters despite being sent packing from Brisbane just days after a phone call with the Broncos coach assuring him of his future at the club.

The New Zealand Warriors recruit has spoken for the first time of his swift mid-season departure from the Broncos as he looks to rebuild his NRL career with the Kiwi outfit.

In a bizarre twist to Lodge’s messy Broncos break up, the forward was told he would be immediately leaving the club after Walters had assured him — publicly and privately — that he would be staying at Red Hill.

“It’s been a weird one,” Lodge said.

”He rang me and we had a conversation and at that point we were going to stay at the club, he said he wanted me there and for the future.

“We had that conversation in the bye week. I came into [training] thinking I was going to stay.

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Matthew Lodge has opened up about his Broncos exit. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images

“Then I got a phone call a couple of nights after [from my manager] saying a deal would be done to leave the club, at that point it had changed so many times I was thinking my mind just needed a new start.

“I took it with both hands.”

Lodge, who is ranked at No. 31 on News Corp’s 2021 NRL Rich 100, said joining the Warriors until the end of the 2024 season on a discounted deal for the New Zealand club would be a weight off his shoulders.

It’s believed Lodge is set to earn around $800,000 a season for the next three years, with the Broncos forced to foot up to $1 million to make the Warriors deal happen.

Lodge joked that Warriors recruitment manager Peter O’Sullivan, who is the father of his partner Jess, signed him to a bargain deal, but he actually sat out negotiations between player and club.

“A couple years ago I almost came to the Warriors, I was in good form then and it was a good deal and it was hard to turn down. I guess this time around he gets me a bit under half price of what that deal was … so that takes pressure off,” Lodge said.

“With the Broncos paying a fair bit of my salary, I get to come here without a whole heap of pressure on me and slot in at a reasonable wage and do my job.

“Which feels a lot more comfortable than coming here as family on the big dollars.

“I just want to earn the respect of everyone I play with here.”

Walters has since hit back at claims of ‘mixed messages’ over Lodge’s departure. The 26-year old insisted there were no ill-feelings towards the under pressure coach.

“We sat down and had a good chat when I left, he didn’t do anything wrong by me and I’d like to do the same. He was pretty respectful, obviously it’s a hard role in his position when you have to move players on, tap them on the shoulder,” Lodge said.

“I like to think I handled that well around the place.

“It’s good to leave with the respect still there because the club has done a lot for me.

“I didn’t know Kevvie too well but I’m sure he’d say we left on good terms.”

Brisbane Broncos player Matt Lodge Picture NRL photos

Miscommunication left Lodge in a state of confusion during his last six months at Brisbane, to the point where he sold his house in the pre-season, following mounting speculation he was being shopped to rival clubs.

While he denied there was any beef with Walters, Lodge did say the transparency Warriors coach Nathan Brown showed was the main reason he decided to join the club.

“That’s a good feeling, Nathan Brown has been good in communicating with me and that he wants me there.” Lodge said.

“Also the owner Mark [Robinson], the CEO [Cameron George] have all been in communication and that was a big part of why I came here, they were supportive of me … that’s a big thing for me.”

REVEALED: KEVVIE BREAKS SILENCE ON LODGE EXIT

Travis Meyn

Broncos coach Kevin Walters denies he is guilty of delivering mixed messages and vowed to dedicate his entire focus to lifting Brisbane out of the NRL’s cellar.

Walters came under fire this week after declaring prop Matt Lodge would not be leaving the club this season only three days before he was immediately released from his contract to join the Warriors.

The Lodge gaffe was not the first time Walters has publicly said one thing, only for the opposite to occur, raising concerns about his motives and how he is viewed within the Broncos’ inner sanctum.

Walters hit back at claims his messaging wasn’t consistent.

Prop Matt Lodge was released this week, despite Walters insistence in recent weeks that he was staying put. Picture NRL photos

“There’s been no mixed messaging from me personally,” he said.

“Matt Lodge has been one of those players that’s been looking at other clubs for some time. It was a matter of when Matt found the right opportunity to exit the club.

“That has been close at different times throughout the season. The timing was unfortunate.

“My job here is to coach the side. I’m fortunate now to be able to coach the side and give my 100 per cent capacity to the team.

“We’ve got great staff here now assisting with the management of the roster. It’s been taken off me which is great.

“There may be some other changes around the roster but that won’t have anything to do with me personally. My job is to coach this team and that’s what I’ll be doing over the next nine weeks.”

Walters has a big job on his hands with the Broncos sitting last on the ladder, with a bye in hand, heading into Sunday’s clash against Cronulla at Suncorp Stadium.

The Broncos are facing a crucial game against Cronulla. Picture: Richard Walker

He has lost props Lodge and Tom Flegler (concussion) for the game, with Rhys Kennedy and Ethan Bullemor rushed into the 17.

With CEO Dave Donaghy now two months into the job and the appointment of Ben Ikin as football chief this week, Walters said his focus could shift to lifting the Broncos in the back end of the season.

“When I was first employed by the club my job was to come in and put my stamp on the way I see the Broncos running and functioning,” he said.

“That takes time to deliver. We’re still not there yet. There has been some change to the playing roster and I believe there will be more change before we get to next season.

“Hopefully I can focus on what I do. I’m paid to be the coach here at the Broncos.

“All the other stuff around the team can be handled by other staff that aren’t directly involved in the hands-on coaching of the side.”

The Broncos went into last weekend’s representative round bye on the back of a four-game losing streak where they conceded 176 points.

Walters said he has his “reset” on Brisbane’s season and he is hoping for an improved defensive effort against the Sharks to kickstart a Broncos revival.

Walters wants to focus on coaching the team. Picture: Richard Walker

“We’ve powered through the week – I’m really happy with the preparation we’ve got into the guys since last Sunday,” he said.

“There’s been a gradual progression throughout the week of getting our game right. We’ve put a lot of work in.

“Our defence has got to be much better, that’s something we continue to work on.

“We’ve come up against some really classy opposition in the last month and the NRL is difficult.

“There is a challenge for us against this Cronulla side that can score some points. It’s a great opportunity for guys coming back into the side.

“I’m looking forward to seeing us put in a strong defensive performance.”

Centre Kotoni Staggs will make his return from a knee reconstruction against the Sharks while Walters will field his eighth different halves combination of the season in Tyson Gamble and Brodie Croft.

The Broncos have brought young prop Xavier Willison into their 19-man squad to gain some experience around the team following the scratching of Lodge and Flegler.

Originally published as Former Bronco Matt Lodge denies there is any rift with coach Kevin Walters