Matthew Lodge

[ALX25]

Half thier team are kiwis, as if Victorians would play a mans game.....


Old mate the thug, you know who I mean, will probably go there.

You do realise that Matt isn't welcome back at the Storm?

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Any club that signs him deserves him, as I said earlier.

 

[Leber]

I agree with Penrose Warrior.

 

[JJ]

Wow, you’re a special kind of merkin when you make Lodge look good, we’ll done fellas

 

[Blair]

I was only a Lodge supporter on the field, there, the only place I wanted him, he was great for us this year. His sudden departure was mitigated for me by his obvious 'giving an on-field crap' about how we performed. He departed like the character we all knew him to be, leaving us cold, but mitigated, once again, by what's come to light with the personal involvement by the club owner.

Two more things, 1. There's plenty of players at our club, still with us until round 26, when our 2022 season comes to its predictable end, who so obviously couldn't give a crap about how we go this year. 2. Lodge was no sycophant, a psycho maybe, but no arse-licker. He probably thought Mohawk was no good and told him so.

Our club probably needs both these 'alpha males' gone. As a Lodge supporter it was harder losing the one who, not only wore the jersey, but got it dirty in the process.

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

Mark Robinson is a massive piss head

I like to go to games here in Sydney a couple of hours early, watch the curtain raiser, get settled, food etc
Ive seen Mark Robinson a couple of times in the bars of Leagues club when im going to the games with beers in hand and after the game he continues the drinking. After a win hes in for a massive night.

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

Heres what i see

Lodge and Robinson get into a dust up in December.
He gets wind that hes on the outta and going to be asked to leave
He activates his player option
Club gets pissed and deny his request
He says legally you cant deny me that
They tell him to piss off but will pay him the player option for 2023 only if he leaves immediatly

 

[Tongue]

Can Lodge actually play for any other team in 2023? Will teams need to compensate Warriors if so?

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

no
hes a free agent

 

[SpaceMonkey]

So, Lodge wants to go. He had an argument with Robinson. He doesn't like the club. He doesn't want to move to NZ. ok. I still don't get the paying him 700k bit.

It just doesn’t add up does it. No way that’s the whole story.

 

[Tongue]

Weirdest thing ever.

 

[Blair]

no
hes a free agent

Yes, it struck me as effectively a 'pay-out'. Severance pay, 'here ya go, mate. We don't want to give you this but, you know, it's the law and all. Good luck for the future, don't bother coming back'.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Heres what i see

Lodge and Robinson get into a dust up in December.
He gets wind that hes on the outta and going to be asked to leave
He activates his player option
Club gets pissed and deny his request
He says legally you cant deny me that
They tell him to piss off but will pay him the player option for 2023 only if he leaves immediatly

That at least sounds remotely plausible. And if true makes Robinson and George both fools and liars (and makes Lodge a liar buy no fool)

 

[Scott]

We have been told that Lodge had no intention of moving to NZ. He clearly wanted to activate his player option because of the $$ but had no intention of moving. It actually puts the club in a predicament. Robinson saying he bought out the contract is very probably the truth.

The whole situation stinks so badly & paints everybody involved in the club in a bad bad way.

Cameron George & Nathan Brown will be gone within a month. It’s clearly Robinsons club & he is calling all the shots. We may field a team next year but it won’t be reserve grade standard, let alone NRL.

 

[Tongue]

Were the broncos topping up the contract? Do they continue topping up in 2023?

 

[Blair]

We have been told that Lodge had no intention of moving to NZ. He clearly wanted to activate his player option because of the $$ but had no intention of moving. It actually puts the club in a predicament. Robinson saying he bought out the contract is very probably the truth.

The whole situation stinks so badly & paints everybody involved in the club in a bad bad way.

Cameron George & Nathan Brown will be gone within a month. It’s clearly Robinsons club & he is calling all the shots. We may field a team next year but it won’t be reserve grade standard, let alone NRL.

Who else has a 'player option for 2023 but with no intention of moving to NZ?!'

I'm on my fourth beer and getting angrier by the minute!

What a club.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

We have been told that Lodge had no intention of moving to NZ. He clearly wanted to activate his player option because of the $$ but had no intention of moving. It actually puts the club in a predicament. Robinson saying he bought out the contract is very probably the truth.

The whole situation stinks so badly & paints everybody involved in the club in a bad bad way.

Cameron George & Nathan Brown will be gone within a month. It’s clearly Robinsons club & he is calling all the shots. We may field a team next year but it won’t be reserve grade standard, let alone NRL.

But Lodge knew he’d likely have to move to NZ eventually when he signed- it would be a condition of his employment that he makes himself present at training sessions and club activities wherever they are. If he activated his option then refused to move, the club should’ve been able to get him for failing to meet the terms of his contract. Of course it is possible that they just didn’t like the inevitable drawn out drama of that process as they likely wouldn’t actually be in a position to sack him til after the season, but it’s a lot of money to pay out to get rid of him on the spot. And it’s not like he wasn’t useful as a player, they could’ve kept picking him while he put in on the field, drop him if he didn’t, or if he stopped showing up to training sack him for breach of contract.

 

[Scott]

Who else has a 'player option for 2023 but with no intention of moving to NZ?!'

I'm on my fourth beer and getting angrier by the minute!

What a club.

Matt Lodge is that type of person, especially with his father-in-law in his ear. That, & a bust up in a pub with the owner, he held every card in the pack.

 

[Scott]

But Lodge knew he’d likely have to move to NZ eventually when he signed- it would be a condition of his employment that he makes himself present at training sessions and club activities wherever they are. If he activated his option then refused to move, the club should’ve been able to get him for failing to meet the terms of his contract. Of course it is possible that they just didn’t like the inevitable drawn out drama of that process as they likely wouldn’t actually be in a position to sack him til after the season, but it’s a lot of money to pay out to get rid of him on the spot. And it’s not like he wasn’t useful as a player, they could’ve kept picking him while he put in on the field, drop him if he didn’t, or if he stopped showing up to training sack him for breach of contract.

C’mon, he had his contract done by his father-in-law. Robinson didn’t like either of them. He’s bought the contract out to get rid of him. And f**ked us up in doing so!

 

[SpaceMonkey]

I honestly don’t give a shit about the money, Robinson can spend it how he likes. But I hate the message that it sends, and I hate the dent it puts in our salary cap even more.