Kevin Walters rejects reports Broncos prepared to pay Matt Lodge to leave

Broncos coach Kevin Walters has flatly denied reports the club is secretly shopping star Matt Lodge around as part of his squad clean out.

Matt Lodge is back in training.

Broncos coach Kevin Walters has flatly denied reports the club is shopping star forward Matt Lodge to rival teams in a desperate bid to move him on.

Lodge’s future has been under a cloud for months and the messy situation continued to deteriorate on Sunday with reports the club is prepared to pay half his contract if a rival club is prepared to pick him up at a bargain basement price.

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The Daily Telegraph’s Dean Ritchie first revealed the Broncos have offered to pay $1.6 million of the $3.2 million remaining on Lodge’s four-year contract through to the end of the 2024 season.

One club recruiter is reported to have told the newspaper it is “unbelievable” that the Broncos would be prepared to pay such a high price just to get rid of the prop forward.

Walters has denied the swirling rumours surrounding Lodge ever since officially being named coach - and he continued to reject the reports on Monday.

Matt Lodge.

When asked if Lodge will play for the club in Round 1 next year, Walters told Sky Sports Radio: “He certainly will be. He’s back training with us now actually. He’s looking quite good.

“He’s been very impressive in his first couple of weeks and first week of training.

“I’m not sure where that’s come from but he’ll be here for round one next year.”

Walters last month also rejected reports former Queensland forward Joe Ofahengaue was about to be released from his Broncos contract to join the Wests Tigers.

Ofahengaue signed with the Tigers just a few days later.

The Broncos have also pulled off the signing of Cowboys forward John Asiata as part of a dramatic re-build of Walters’ forward pack.

Since the end of the 2020 season the Broncos have said goodbye to Ofahengaue (Wests Tigers), Jack Bird (St George Illawarra) and David Fifita (Gold Coast Titans) as part of the roster clean out.

CAMERON SMITH TO GET PERFECT SEND-OFF WITH TITANS

Cameron Smith is still keeping the NRL world on its toes even with clubs returning to pre-season training last week.

The 37-year-old is officially unemployed after seeing his contract with the Melbourne Storm expire last month — and is still yet to announce if he will return for one final season.

Swirling rumours and speculation continues to suggest Smith has already played his final game with the Storm and is reportedly weighing up one final season with the Gold Coast Titans.

The Daily Telegraph’s Phil Rothfield said on Monday the Titans could pull-off a double signing coup by picking up Smith for one final year before swapping him for Storm utility Brandon Smith for the 2022 season.

Brandon Smith is contracted to the Storm for 2021, but the Storm are reportedly open to letting him leave — as part of a player trade deal — following the club’s decision to go with Harry Grant as its first choice No. 9 next year.

Rothfield says it all adds up to the Titans pulling off deals for both Smiths.

Cameron Smith is still taking his own sweet time.

“I have a feeling Cameron Smith will play for the Gold Coast Titans next year,” he told Sky Sports Radio.

“For one year to say goodbye. And what a good story it would be if he could drive them into the finals with their other new signings. And then after one year, he’ll be replaced by Brandon Smith. That’s just a theory I’ve got.

“With the Bryce Cartwright money, they’ve got $650,000-$700,000 left in the cap. With young (Nathan) Peats leaving, they don’t have a hooker. Cameron is living on the Gold Coast.”

“He hasn’t woken up and said I’ve had enough. So he hasn’t made a decision.

“Jeez it would be a good story.”