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Rumoured & Confirmed Signings - Part 5

Messages
21,867
Lodge has a very weird contract. $700k per, It goes until 2024, and his last two seasons are listed as player options! Broncos were off their rocker.

Let’s say the 700k is correct, you’d have to think we’d need the Broncos to pay at least half that to be any chance of fitting him in to our cap. And I don’t see how the Broncos could get a replacement anywhere near as good as lodge for $350k.
 

Kilkenny

Coach
Messages
13,148
From a financial perspective I just can’t see him leaving the Broncos, not withstanding they are desperate to get rid of him.

It is suggested he earns $800k and is contracted until 2022. He then has a two year option in his favour.

The Broncos no doubt would be more than happy to pay the greater share of this year and next to get themselves out of the extra two years which lodge would almost certainly take up.

He wouldn’t be interested in coming to us or any other club unless he can earn somewhere near what he could earn with the Broncos for 2023/2024 and we certainly wouldn’t be interested in Lodge at the money he is on.
 

Whino

Bench
Messages
3,202
Lodge has a very weird contract. $700k per, It goes until 2024, and his last two seasons are listed as player options! Broncos were off their rocker.

Let’s say the 700k is correct, you’d have to think we’d need the Broncos to pay at least half that to be any chance of fitting him in to our cap. And I don’t see how the Broncos could get a replacement anywhere near as good as lodge for $350k.

They need money to retain Staggs and Deardon. Plus buy a few players.
Any replacement would have to be lower tier or a rookie.
They have a few good rookies coming through.
I read the other day Brisbane will have to shift one of their forwards on big money. Haas, TPJ, Lodge or Carrigan.
They won't shift Haas or Carrigan.

Lodge has been shopped around for months. A certain journo was qouted a few months ago saying they were desperate to get rid of him.
That sparks alarm bells for me.
His past knee injury concerns me too.
 
Messages
21,867
They need money to retain Staggs and Deardon. Plus buy a few players.
Any replacement would have to be lower tier or a rookie.
They have a few good rookies coming through.
I read the other day Brisbane will have to shift one of their forwards on big money. Haas, TPJ, Lodge or Carrigan.
They won't shift Haas or Carrigan.

Lodge has been shopped around for months. A certain journo was qouted a few months ago saying they were desperate to get rid of him.
That sparks alarm bells for me.
His past knee injury concerns me too.


Good points.

It really depends how much the broncos are willing to pay, if they pay half his salary the risk is pretty low.
 

Luke Bowden

First Grade
Messages
6,913
From a financial perspective I just can’t see him leaving the Broncos, not withstanding they are desperate to get rid of him.

It is suggested he earns $800k and is contracted until 2022. He then has a two year option in his favour.

The Broncos no doubt would be more than happy to pay the greater share of this year and next to get themselves out of the extra two years which lodge would almost certainly take up.

He wouldn’t be interested in coming to us or any other club unless he can earn somewhere near what he could earn with the Broncos for 2023/2024 and we certainly wouldn’t be interested in Lodge at the money he is on.

We also need to save money for the Burto Backflip! Don’t forget that.
 

Kilkenny

Coach
Messages
13,148
We also need to save money for the Burto Backflip! Don’t forget that.

I believe he may still be paying off his financial settlement of his NY Court Case and if my memory serves me correctly it was a condition of his return to the NRL that he meets his obligations of his civil case. If he is still paying off money in his Civil case it’s another reason to dig his heels in with the Broncos.

I’m sure privately Matt Burton has concerns around his future but he will most definitely be with the Dogs in 2022.

Ironically, had he held off on signing with the Dogs and still been a free agent the demand for his services would be off the charts and probably earning far in excess of the deal he signed with the Dogs
 

Luke Bowden

First Grade
Messages
6,913
I believe he may still be paying off his financial settlement of his NY Court Case and if my memory serves me correctly it was a condition of his return to the NRL that he meets his obligations of his civil case. If he is still paying off money in his Civil case it’s another reason to dig his heels in with the Broncos.

I’m sure privately Matt Burton has concerns around his future but he will most definitely be with the Dogs in 2022.

Ironically, had he held off on signing with the Dogs and still been a free agent the demand for his services would be off the charts and probably earning far in excess of the deal he signed with the Dogs

To be honest, the Dogs would be much better off going after Mitch Kenny, I think he does more to fix that team than Burto does.
 

Abacus

Juniors
Messages
2,093
Didnt hurt Luke Lewis in the long run. I think most people would understand a young guy wanting to stay here. Our club’s reputation is fine we’ve sold out every home game we’ve had, burton back flipping wouldn’t damage us at all imo.
Different set of circumstances. At that time contracts couldn't be registered until Rd 13 giving existing clubs opportunity to retain players by matching deals. So while he'd agreed to terms, there was no official contract.

I can't see how Burton wouldn't cop it, particularly if the club CEO is the 1 spouting off in the media. The club being involved makes it look like Matt is more interested in being in a winning team, rather than staying through any sentimentality.

Much prefer if Matt wants to stay that he & his agent handle it quietly and professionally between the 2 clubs, rather than through the media.
 

Munky

Coach
Messages
10,198
Even if Burton got out of the Dogs why would he stay at Penrith?

Plenty of other good teams who would throw money at him to play in the halves.

The club is trolling the Bulldogs and doing a fine job of it.
 

Luke Bowden

First Grade
Messages
6,913
Even if Burton got out of the Dogs why would he stay at Penrith?

Plenty of other good teams who would throw money at him to play in the halves.

The club is trolling the Bulldogs and doing a fine job of it.

He’s exactly what the Broncos need
 
Messages
21,867
Even if Burton got out of the Dogs why would he stay at Penrith?

Plenty of other good teams who would throw money at him to play in the halves.

The club is trolling the Bulldogs and doing a fine job of it.


Taking a longer term view, playing in the centres for a few years could help him become a better playmaker down the track. He gets the perspective of someone he’d be feeding passes to, allows him to develop more confidence. Lots of great halves played their early careers in the centres.
 

Smug Panther

First Grade
Messages
7,004
Taking a longer term view, playing in the centres for a few years could help him become a better playmaker down the track. He gets the perspective of someone he’d be feeding passes to, allows him to develop more confidence. Lots of great halves played their early careers in the centres.
Yeah nah he's too good to be wasting time at centre
 

Kilkenny

Coach
Messages
13,148
I think we should be actively looking at bringing a quality front rower to strengthen our squad although I agree Matt Lodge is not someone I would be pursuing.

The well documented off field issues, his knee issues and wages I just don’t think he is what we need.
 

Original Name

Juniors
Messages
1,286
Moral issues aside Lodge has it in him to be a good player he reminded everyone of that when he terrorized Mitch Kenny (probably not a coincidence it was against the team looking to sign him). We lost the battle up the middle against the Broncos in part due to Lodge. He'll be better off the bench as an impact prop then he will be starting too.

He was playing with half an ACL last year/the year before. Was good for the Broncos in his debut year before he got injured. Moral issues aside it's a good money for value buy if he comes to us dirt cheap and Ivan loves those, it's a move very in character for him. This is the type of opportunity Blade's mentioned the club's been waiting for. Play him while the Broncos pay freight then move him on for a temporally cheap junior when we have to pay for him.
 
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Original Name

Juniors
Messages
1,286
NRL 2021: Matt Lodge wants Kevin Walters to end rumours over his Broncos future
Matt Lodge is set for a showdown with coach Kevin Walters as the Brisbane enforcer looks for straight answers on unsettling rumours that he isn’t wanted by the Broncos.

Lodge heads into Friday night’s clash against the Eels at Darwin’s TIO Stadium plagued by incessant uncertainty after six months of speculation about his future as Brisbane look to re-shape their roster under Walters.

Lodge’s outstanding performance against Penrith last week — his best display in more than 12 months — could have been interpreted as an emphatic riposte to suggestions the 25-year-old is on death row at Red Hill.

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When Walters took charge last October, the Broncos made furtive inquiries about moving on the prop, only for Lodge’s potential shift to the Warriors to collapse when they baulked at a hefty transfer fee.

Lodge was then buffeted by fresh transfer rumours before the Panthers clash when he was linked with the Cowboys, while Brisbane have been made aware another NRL rival inquired last week about buying the controversial prop.

Craving stability as he fights his way back from a horror 2020 campaign decimated by two knee injuries, Lodge is tired of the transfer talk and is hoping for a sign of unwavering commitment from Broncos bosses.

Asked how he would feel about being offloaded by the Broncos, Lodge was unequivocal ahead of his showdown with a monster Parramatta pack in Darwin.

“It’s up to the Broncos what they want to do,” Lodge said.

“To be honest, it‘s out of my hands.

“I’m just focused on playing good football, I have a contract here ... you have to ask them where things stand.”
Cowboys football-operations chief Micheal Luck insists North Queensland are not targeting the Broncos bookend.

“We won’t be signing Matt Lodge,” he said. ”We are looking at other areas of our roster.”

Fuelling the speculation over Lodge is the composition of his lucrative deal.

The former Tigers and Storm prop is contracted to Brisbane until the end of 2022, but has a rare two-year option in his favour. That gives Lodge the power to exercise a clause that would keep him at the Broncos until the end of 2024.

Walters is juggling a salary-cap problem. He has no personal issue with Lodge but it is understood the Broncos ideally need to shift one middle forward to free-up some cash under the salary cap to fund recruitment targets in other positions.

As one of Brisbane’s highest paid players on around $750,000 this season, Lodge naturally comes into the firing line, especially after a disappointing 2020 campaign that did not deliver bang for his big bucks.

Walters is hoping Lodge can stand up as Brisbane’s engine-room leader and the Penrith junior, who plays his 70th NRL game on Friday night, is determined to be a worthwhile investment for the Broncos.

“I’ve never lacked any confidence,” he said.

“That (last week‘s game) is the first time I’ve put three games together in nearly two years.

“I was just playing busted and playing with a broken leg, but I’m at a stage in my life where I don’t care about criticism.

“I’m in a happy place and I love playing footy so the more I’m on the field the better my match fitness gets and the more I enjoy it.

“I can now start doing my job for the team and keep building on it.


“It‘s kind of a made-up thing (Lodge being a senior forward leader). I’m 25 years old, I missed four years of NRL.

“I‘m still learning my trade. I don’t want to be that big figure that leads everyone. I just want to do my job.”


https://www.couriermail.com.au/spor...e/news-story/2a4fa85258e93079ab1aa40dbe8f8c53
 

Luke Bowden

First Grade
Messages
6,913
Burton on the sunday footy show in a few minutes .

Did he announce his immediate back flip by any chance? Whilst giving Laundry and Bazz the bird?

or, did he continue with this “I’ll be keeping my word and joining the dogs bullshit” “I’m excited by the challenge” blah blah!
 

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