Mal Meninga slams Wayne Bennett’s plan to sign troubled prop Matt Lodge

AUSTRALIAN coach Mal Meninga has slammed Wayne Bennett’s plan to sign wayward prop Matt Lodge.

Sunshine Coast Falcons (black & gold) v's Redcliffe Dolphins (red & white). Redcliffe 18 Matt Lodge, Falcons 20 Tom Geraghty. Photo Greg Miller

TEST coach Mal Meninga has taken aim at Wayne Bennett’s plan to sign Matt Lodge and backed moves to ban the controversial prop from playing for the Broncos for 12 months.

Brisbane’s feeder club Redcliffe has made a formal submission to the NRL for Lodge to train once a week with Bennett’s Broncos squad, 16 months after his alcohol-fuelled incident led to his spending time in a US prison.

The NRL integrity unit will deliver a verdict next week but it is understood the governing body will refuse to register any NRL deal for Lodge this season.

Brisbane hoped Lodge would be available for selection in coming months but Meninga lashed attempts to expedite the 21-year-old’s return.

Lodge is currently deregistered from the NRL but made his debut for Redcliffe last Saturday.

Meninga has slammed Bennett’s plan to sign Matt Lodge.

Meninga has taken a hard line stance on player misbehaviour as Kangaroos coach. Last November, he stripped Andrew Fifita and Semi Radradra of Test jumpers for off-field incidents and he said Lodge must earn the right to play NRL.

“I don’t know why the Broncos would want to sign Matt Lodge,” Meninga said.

“If the NRL determines Matt should sit out another 12 months, I fully support that.

“If someone has done something serious, they have to pay the price. He did the bring the game into disrepute.

“I don’t know what the NRL will decide but in my position as Australian coach, I respect the game immensely and every player in our game has to take responsibility for their actions.

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“NRL players are now ambassadors for the game and they should never lose sight of that aspect.

“If you want to do the right thing by the game, sure, the game will eventually put their arms around you and say welcome back.

“You have to earn a second chance. It’s a privilege to play in the NRL and Matt Lodge, like anyone who offends, should have to earn the right to play again.’’

The Broncos insist Lodge is signed only to Redcliffe but Bennett has been his mentor, meeting him last year at a Sydney hotel as the forward began rebuilding his life in Australia.

If the NRL integrity unit gave Lodge the green light next week, Bennett would be free to pick the highly-rated enforcer for Brisbane’s season-opener against the Sharks.

Lodge made his Redcliffe debut last weekend.

Lodge asked Redcliffe CEO Grant Cleal to seek permission for him to train with the Broncos.

“We have asked the NRL if he can do a day’s training at the Broncos, but we haven’t heard back at this stage,” Cleal said.

“We’ve had other guys who have done jail time play for our club and they are better for their experience.

“Matt is a young man who made a mistake, but he’s a good fella, he’s been no problem at all and we want to help him get back to NRL football.”

The NRL is set to order Lodge follow the path of Russell Packer, who served a year in lower-tier football before being registered to play for the Dragons.

“The integrity unit will make a determination on Matthew Lodge soon,” an NRL spokesman said last night.

Originally published as Mal Meninga slams Wayne Bennett’s plan to sign troubled prop Matt Lodge