Matt Lodge

Matt Lodge walked out on the New Zealand Warriors due to an ongoing personality clash with club owner Mark Robinson - and was promptly given a $700000 ...

Effectively now a free agent, Lodge turned up for a run with Norths in the Brisbane club rugby union competition on Tuesday night in second grade After two years out of the NRL, he signed with the Broncos for the 2018 season and then joined the Warriors last year. Effectively now a free agent, Lodge turned up for a run with Norths in the Brisbane club rugby union competition on Tuesday night. The controversial prop was contracted until next year - but told the club he didn't want to relocate his family to New Zealand ahead of the 2023 season NRL star Matt Lodge Matt Lodge (pictured middle) played second grade rugby union in Brisbane this week with Norths - just a few days after he was released by the New Zealand Warriors and given a $700,000 golden handshake The controversial prop, 26, who has also played in the NRL for the Wests Tigers and Brisbane Broncos, informed Warriors coach Nathan Brown last Friday he wanted to leave the club, effective immediately.

'It never came right': The heated pub clash that triggered Lodge's shock Warriors exit.

“It was a simple business transaction. It’s seven months ago.“There’s no bad blood with Matt Lodge at all.” he said. “If any football player walks into his employer or any employer and says, I have had enough and for personal reasons I don’t want to move my family to New Zealand, say OK fine that’s the end of the contract,” he told NRL360. “That’s the thing it does go on their cap regardless of the fact whether he is there or not,” Kent said. “He didn’t like the club and he obviously didn’t like playing for Mark Robinson.” Lodge was released from the final year of his contract last week amid claims he did not want to relocate to New Zealand with the team.

The New Zealand Warriors reportedly gave departed front-rower Matt Lodge a big payout despite the fact he walked out mid-season, an Australian newspaper ...

"That was the size of his golden handshake. Lodge's tenure as a member of the Warriors came to an end last week, with the club releasing the 26-year-old prop from his contract with immediate effect. I have rung him. The Daily Telegraph claims Lodge was given a $AU700,000 golden handshake by the club. I have texted him. "This story is a bizarre one and I can't understand and I would love someone to explain it to me, but Matt Lodge has been given a release from the Warriors, but paid out in full for the rest of this season and the rest of next year," Braith Anasta said on NRL 360.

The Warriors' front office is under fire for a reported deal with former front-rower Matt Lodge who walked out on the team last week.

"That was the size of his golden handshake. "He was unhappy so I bought him out of his option for next year and we parted ways. I have rung him. Lodge's short tenure with the Warriors ended last week after the club agreed to give him an immediate release from his contract. I have texted him. He didn’t like the club and he obviously didn’t like playing for Mark Robinson."

Just days after abruptly exiting the Warriors, former Origin prop Matt Lodge laced up his boots for Norths' second-grade team in the pouring rain.

He made some strong carries but it was more his defence that was probably the most impressive thing. He wants to play. Lodge and the Warriors agreed to part ways after the 26-year-old knocked back a lucrative three-year extension during the pre-season and declined to take up a 2023 option in his favour. “He is going to come to training tomorrow and he’ll let us know. He didn’t get as many carries and what he would have wanted ... the weather up here is pretty wet. A fifty-minute cameo in Brisbane club rugby by former Warriors prop Matt Lodge was more than enough for Norths coach Pat Byron to pencil in the NRL front-rower as his first grade No.8 for Saturday.

Controversial prop released by Warriors on Friday and was playing rugby by Tuesday as reports claim he was given a $700000 golden handshake from the club.

it appears uncontracted— Michael Atkinson (@kinson88) @NRLprop Matt Lodge is dabbling in #rugby. Told he came off the bench at no.8 for Norths 2nd grade last night vs Bond. TBC if he’s having a serious crack, but I expect to see him back in the NRL soon Had a few msgs about this… Lodge was signed by the Warriors midway through last season despite his hugely controversial past in a move that angered many fans of the club. Following the mysterious and abrupt exit, that a joint media release from the club and Lodge attributed to him being unable to move to New Zealand at the end of the current season in November, it was widely assumed the former Brisbane Bronco would sign with another NRL club, within days. Lodge came on as a replacement for North’s Brisbane and played the final 50 minutes of the 27-14 loss to Bond at No. 8, according to Fox Sports. Controversial former Warriors prop Matt Lodge’s shock departure from the club on Friday, on the eve of the loss to the Dragons, has taken an unexpected twist as reports claim he was given a A$700,000 golden handshake.

After being spotted having a run for Norths Rugby 2^nd Grade earlier this week, former Warriors prop Matt Lodge has caused a stir in the rugby league world ...

However, his appearance on Brisbane’s northside begs the question, where will go next? Triple M Breakfast with Marto and Margaux; listen live from 5.30am weekdays on Brisbane’s 104.5 Triple M or download the LiSTNR App to grab the podcast NOW. This morning on Triple M Breakfast with Marto and Margaux Lodge’s next port of call became a hot topic.

The controversial prop says Mark Robinson launched an unprovoked tirade at him, but he also denied the club owner was racist.

He assaulted a man who was trying to help and tried to smash down a door where his wife and young son were hiding. I gave everything I could to try to get us a win every week.” “I was invested in the group of boys. He has a nice family himself and an awesome little son and the thought of him having to go to school when someone has read racism stuff about his dad upset me. Like elite athletes at their peak, our sports journalists are highly trained in the art of news. “It wasn’t a planned exit. I just don’t,” Lodge told the Courier Mail. “It’s never nice for people reading about their family. It all happened really fast,” Lodge told Brisbane’s Courier Mail. “But I don’t want Mark being called racist. He has stuck by them and kept all his staff employed even during this Covid period. I have not seen him show any racism at all.

Mystery surrounds Matt Lodge's next move — but it is expected that the big-name prop will land at a new NRL club before the end of the season.

Bennett and Lodge have a good relationship from their time together at the Broncos. However it’s worth noting that property was purchased in January — four months before his release — and has been rented out since February. It would be a full circle moment for Lodge after making his NRL debut for the club back in 2014, but after Thomas Mikaele was released to go to the Super League, the Tigers have a spot for a middle forward now — and in the future. Herman Ese’ese and Jarrod Wallace both come off contract at the end of this season with the latter being linked to a move to the Dolphins. Utility forward Tariq Sims is off to the Storm next season and retirement may be on the cards for off-contract 32-year-old Josh McGuire at the end of the season. There’s no real rush for Lodge on the financial front given the Warriors have paid him out in full for the remainder of this season and all of next — a total close to $700,000.