Missing Rooster Hodges seeks Broncos berth
By Danny Weidler
January 28, 2004
Sydney Roosters centre Justin Hodges has gone AWL from the club and has expressed an interest in rejoining the Brisbane Broncos.
Hodges has failed to show up at Roosters' training sessions since last Friday but, according to teammates, has made contact with the Broncos. The 21-year-old Queensland representative is understood to have approached Brisbane chief executive Bruno Cullen in a bid to resume his career with his former club.
The Roosters became concerned over Hodges last Friday, when he failed to show up for a regulation training session. The club has tried to contact him since but he has yet to reply to the calls, including those from coach Ricky Stuart.
Hodges has been upset since breaking up with his fiancee, model Lauren Lillie, whom Hodges had credited with being a steadying influence in his life on and off the field.
While the Roosters are angry that Hodges has not sought leave from training and rejected their attempts to contact him, they are maintaining a supportive stance.
"Justin has been given two weeks off from training for personal reasons," Stuart told the Herald last night. "He has been having a difficult time of late and we will do anything we can to try and help him out.
"I will also do anything I can do for him in order to get through these next few weeks so that he can refocus on football."
Stuart refused to comment on Hodges's plan to join the Broncos. However, Roosters officials yesterday made it clear there was no chance Hodges would be given a release from his four-year deal with the club.
Hodges would forgo around $1 million if he were to walk out on the Roosters, as he has just signed a three-year extension to his current deal, which would have ended at the end of this year.
When Hodges approached the Broncos recently, it is believed they made it clear they would be unable to accommodate him for salary cap reasons and because he was already contracted to the Roosters.
Hodges has not made any official request to leave the Roosters, although it is understood that course may be pursued by his management.
According to teammates, Hodges is homesick for Queensland and has been lonely since his relationship with Lillie ended.
Stuart and Hodges have since had a tight relationship, and his failure to take Stuart's phone calls has not been well received. Under Stuart's guidance, Hodges has developed into the game's best defensive centre and a rising star of Origin. Stuart has even expressed a belief that Hodges has leadership qualities.
Hodges, however, is no stranger to controversy. After announcing his defection from Brisbane to the Roosters in 2001, he was dumped to first division by Broncos coach Wayne Bennett.
"We had made a lot of sacrifices for Justin and have done a lot of things for him, and he's chosen not to be here," Bennett said at the time. "We've got very little loyalty in return from what we've put into Justin and I don't feel I owe him anything."
Less than a year later, Hodges was back in the headlines - and back in first division. Following a disastrous State of Origin outing, during which he threw two in-goal passes that led to NSW tries, Hodges opted to drive, rather than fly, back to Sydney. Which came as news to Stuart, who had expected the Queenslander at training in Sydney the day after the Origin encounter. Stuart demoted Hodges from the first grade side.
"If Justin had asked for a day to clear his head, I would have given him two days if he needed it," Stuart said at the time. "I just thought it was important for Justin to be back here so I could be close by. He's got some good friends around here."
But Hodges soon regained his place among the Roosters' elite. And despite several minor controversies - in which he publicly sledged the likes of Cronulla's David Peachey and Newcastle's Ben Kennedy - Hodges was again selected for Queensland last year.
That match, though, was to be his last for 2003. On an uneven, sandy playing surface at the renovated Suncorp Stadium, he suffered a season-ending knee injury and his dominant on-field presence was badly missed by the Roosters in their grand final loss to Penrith.
Hodges has been recovering well from the knee injury, and his rehabilitation has included doing extra training sessions with boxer Anthony Mundine. It had been expected Hodges would be fit for a return to first grade at the start of the season in March.
By Danny Weidler
January 28, 2004
Sydney Roosters centre Justin Hodges has gone AWL from the club and has expressed an interest in rejoining the Brisbane Broncos.
Hodges has failed to show up at Roosters' training sessions since last Friday but, according to teammates, has made contact with the Broncos. The 21-year-old Queensland representative is understood to have approached Brisbane chief executive Bruno Cullen in a bid to resume his career with his former club.
The Roosters became concerned over Hodges last Friday, when he failed to show up for a regulation training session. The club has tried to contact him since but he has yet to reply to the calls, including those from coach Ricky Stuart.
Hodges has been upset since breaking up with his fiancee, model Lauren Lillie, whom Hodges had credited with being a steadying influence in his life on and off the field.
While the Roosters are angry that Hodges has not sought leave from training and rejected their attempts to contact him, they are maintaining a supportive stance.
"Justin has been given two weeks off from training for personal reasons," Stuart told the Herald last night. "He has been having a difficult time of late and we will do anything we can to try and help him out.
"I will also do anything I can do for him in order to get through these next few weeks so that he can refocus on football."
Stuart refused to comment on Hodges's plan to join the Broncos. However, Roosters officials yesterday made it clear there was no chance Hodges would be given a release from his four-year deal with the club.
Hodges would forgo around $1 million if he were to walk out on the Roosters, as he has just signed a three-year extension to his current deal, which would have ended at the end of this year.
When Hodges approached the Broncos recently, it is believed they made it clear they would be unable to accommodate him for salary cap reasons and because he was already contracted to the Roosters.
Hodges has not made any official request to leave the Roosters, although it is understood that course may be pursued by his management.
According to teammates, Hodges is homesick for Queensland and has been lonely since his relationship with Lillie ended.
Stuart and Hodges have since had a tight relationship, and his failure to take Stuart's phone calls has not been well received. Under Stuart's guidance, Hodges has developed into the game's best defensive centre and a rising star of Origin. Stuart has even expressed a belief that Hodges has leadership qualities.
Hodges, however, is no stranger to controversy. After announcing his defection from Brisbane to the Roosters in 2001, he was dumped to first division by Broncos coach Wayne Bennett.
"We had made a lot of sacrifices for Justin and have done a lot of things for him, and he's chosen not to be here," Bennett said at the time. "We've got very little loyalty in return from what we've put into Justin and I don't feel I owe him anything."
Less than a year later, Hodges was back in the headlines - and back in first division. Following a disastrous State of Origin outing, during which he threw two in-goal passes that led to NSW tries, Hodges opted to drive, rather than fly, back to Sydney. Which came as news to Stuart, who had expected the Queenslander at training in Sydney the day after the Origin encounter. Stuart demoted Hodges from the first grade side.
"If Justin had asked for a day to clear his head, I would have given him two days if he needed it," Stuart said at the time. "I just thought it was important for Justin to be back here so I could be close by. He's got some good friends around here."
But Hodges soon regained his place among the Roosters' elite. And despite several minor controversies - in which he publicly sledged the likes of Cronulla's David Peachey and Newcastle's Ben Kennedy - Hodges was again selected for Queensland last year.
That match, though, was to be his last for 2003. On an uneven, sandy playing surface at the renovated Suncorp Stadium, he suffered a season-ending knee injury and his dominant on-field presence was badly missed by the Roosters in their grand final loss to Penrith.
Hodges has been recovering well from the knee injury, and his rehabilitation has included doing extra training sessions with boxer Anthony Mundine. It had been expected Hodges would be fit for a return to first grade at the start of the season in March.
