Luke Brooks says Matt Lodge has turned his life around since the birth of his son
MATT Lodge will make the most of the second chance in the NRL and turned his life around since the birth of his son, according to childhood friend Luke Brooks.
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MATT Lodge will make the most of the second chance in the NRL and turned his life around since the birth of his son, according to childhood friend Luke Brooks.
Lodge’s NRL comeback with the Brisbane Broncos has been a huge pre-season talking point, especially with US lawyers still chasing the $1.6 million he owes to victims from his 2015 New York assault.
Brooks disagrees with calls to banish the 22-year-old forever.
“Everyone should give him a second chance, a lot of players have had second chances and taken them with both hands and gone on with it,’’ Brooks told Sport Confidential.
“You can see the way he has changed off the field, having his little boy. He’ll be great for the Broncos. He’s only young, he’s got plenty of football in front of him, and maybe one day he might even come back to the Tigers.’’
The Tigers sacked Lodge after he was arrested at gun point in New York and later charged. He spent a few nights in the notorious Rikers Island prison.
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Meanwhile, Brooks said housemate James Tedesco had returned home this week after being struck down with the mumps.
Brooks, Tedesco and Mitchell Moses, who were all with the Tigers this time last year, remain roomies in a flash pad in the inner west.
Teddy picked up the mumps while in camp with the Sydney Roosters in Queenstown, and Brooks said he was quickly given his marching orders when he returned home with a “swollen head’’ and flu-like symptoms.
“He came home Monday and is all good now. I wish he was sick a few more weeks and misses round one (against the Tigers),’’ Brooks quipped.
“I ended up getting a booster shot while I was in Cairns. When I got the needle, the doctor said she hadn’t heard about the mumps in ages.’’
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THERE will be a bucket collections at Campbelltown Sports Stadium tomorrow night before the Wests Tigers and Cronulla trial for victims of the Tongan cyclone.
The Sharkies high-profile Tongan prop Andrew Fifita and Tigers’ pair Tui Lolohea and Mahe Fonua were behind the great idea.
Lolohea told us his family house survived the wild storms, yet the roofs were blown off all the neighbouring homes.
Tonga captain Sika Manu was spotted back home this week helping out the locals.
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POOR reporter Zac Bailey returned with what looked like fifth-degree burns after three days covering the devastation caused by Cyclone Gita in Tonga.
Shooting a segment with Tongan centre Konrad Hurrell, Bailey’s melon looked as impressive as some of Hurrell’s hairstyles.
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RUGBY league is close to returning to the airwaves of 2UE for the first time in two decades with the rebranded “Talking Lifestyle” station set to form an alliance with Crocmedia.
The 954am station in Sydney has not called a match since losing the radio rights to 2GB in 1999, but looks set to host up to four matches this season.
Crocmedia has secured the rights to call NRL games for the first time and wants to relay calls through a metropolitan radio station, regional networks and also online.
It is understood that station will be Talking Lifestyle — formerly 2UE. There are also suggestions the rugby league content — coupled with the station’s summer international and Big Bash cricket coverage — could form a push for Talking Lifestyle to become a 24/7 sports station.
The highly successful 2GB Continuous Call Team will continue its ratings juggernaut led by Ray Hadley and Mark Levy. It is expected that 2GB’s stablemate Talking Lifestyle would not call the same games as Hadley’s team.
Triple M and ABC Grandstand will also call matches this year.
An NRL spokesman would not comment on the radio rights as negotiations are continuing. It is understood an announcement is expected within days.
Crocmedia has planned a rugby league launch on Wednesday with the likes of Brett Kimmorley, Steve Roach, Brenton Speed, Russell Barwick, and Renee Gartner all set to attend.