“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt.”
This proverb has been ascribed to a great many people and in general it is a good rule.
However, sometimes saying nothing is the very worst thing you can do. The silence from NRL HQ in regards to their decision to register Matt Lodge’s contract with the Brisbane Broncos is one of those occasions.
The moment they decided to register Lodge’s contract, Todd Greenberg and his team had to get on the front foot and say why. They had to communicate with the NRL public their justification for letting someone who pleaded guilty to assault back into the game.
The storm that is now gathering strength regarding Lodge’s return to the game could have been quelled before it had even started if the NRL had just realised that a little bit of communication can go a long way.
However, the NRL is not a public organisation by any stretch. Although they’ve gone under the tagline “It’s your game” in seasons past, it’s never been clear to me just who they were talking to.
Who they are answerable to and what their primary goals are is open to speculation. Getting any information out of Moore Park can be quite the challenge.
In this age of ever more influential social media, the NRL seemingly hadn’t considered that club sponsors could be targeted by the fans as a result of contentious player registrations.
(NRL.com)
That realisation will definitely have come home to roost extremely heavily in the last week.
If there is one thing for absolute certain in the game of rugby league it is that money talks.
Everything points to it: the broadcast schedule, third party agreements, the primacy of State of Origin. Everything.
So the heat placed on the NRMA – the major sponsor of the biggest team in the NRL – because of the Brisbane Broncos recruiting, and the NRL duly registering, a convicted violent offender is not what Todd Greenberg and his posse wanted at all.
If the NRMA gets enough backlash over the matter – and they are copping quite a bit right now – it is not beyond the realms of possibility that they will end their commercial arrangement with the Broncos.
Rugby league in Australia really doesn’t need to lose money right now.
And which company would want their logo emblazoned on a man who pleaded guilty to a crime in New York after he threatened the lives of two women, assaulted a man who came to their aid and then invaded a home, trashing the place and terrorising a woman and child inside it?
The Broncos have at least 18 free-to-air games this season – more if they make the finals – where Lodge will effectively be an ambassador for the NRMA to a mass audience.
Previously, Lodge has also been suspended for writing the word ‘c***’ on his game-day strapping.
So what possessed the Broncos to sign him?
It does seem odd to me that the club with the single largest pool of junior talent to draw from and develop – out of all the world’s rugby league clubs – would need to recruit the likes of Lodge. If I were a shareholder in the Brisbane Broncos Ltd, I’d want to know why there wasn’t a mass of local talent constantly coming through the ranks that made such signings unnecessary.
However, Wayne Bennett must believe Lodge can be effective. Bennett’s job is to achieve team success for the Broncos. Since returning, he has lost a grand final and been knocked out in the semi and preliminary finals respectively.
Now 68 years old, you can bet Uncle Wayne wants one more premiership. He clearly thinks Lodge can help achieve that goal. His club backed his recruitment.
(AAP Image/David Clark)
The Broncos are such a huge club in the Australian sporting landscape that they may have thought that it wouldn’t matter to their sponsors who they recruited. This incident may change their thinking.
They do have a responsibility to the shareholders and sponsors of the Brisbane Broncos Ltd to try and avoid scandal, bad press, and to maintain the impression of team integrity. By signing Lodge, they haven’t achieved those ends.
And then the NRL registered the contract.
As shown by such things as their justification of the salary cap (below), the NRL considers it has a clear role to protect the clubs from themselves.
“It (the salary cap) ensures clubs are not put into a position where they are forced to spend more money than they can afford, in terms of player payments, just to be competitive.”
Surely then the same logic would apply to them ensuring that the clubs didn’t sign someone who could damage their reputation or lose sponsors. Or, if they did, that the NRL would have a proactive strategy to justify the registration.
Right now the Broncos brand is being damaged, and through association, so is the NRMA’s.
And here’s the thing. Matt Lodge may have improved out of sight as a human. He may be remorseful and have set about making wrong his rights. He may be worth a chance at redemption. The NRL may have considered all of these things in a thorough and diligent process.
However, these are all the sort of things that the Broncos and the NRL could have told us to try and avoid having the NRMA taken to task on social media.
Further, the registration of Lodge’s contract adds more confusion around who the NRL banish and who they allow to play again.
(AAP Image/Action Photographics, Colin Whelan)
The problem with the deregistering players is that once you do it, you set a precedent. De-registering Todd Carney set a precedent. But a precedent can paint you into a corner. It holds all subsequent decisions – or non-decisions – up to scrutiny.
When compared, all Todd Carney’s crimes/disgraces combined are at worst only comparable to those of Matt Lodge. While Carney’s drink driving did risk the lives of others, his other offences – while socially repulsive – did not visit serious injury on anyone. Fortunately neither did the drink driving. A repeat offender, Carney may never have another NRL contract registered.
Perhaps like Carney in 2010, Lodge got registered because the NRL believes in giving second chances?
But how would the NRL supporting public know that if they aren’t told? And, as usual, they weren’t told a thing by NRL HQ.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this situation is on you, Todd. You and the organisation which you lead have to be accountable and speak up. As CEO, the buck stops with you whether you like it or not.
Let’s hope the NRMA don’t walk…
Bunney
Guest
Here ya go Tim. Better late than never they say: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/brisbane-broncos/nrl-chief-todd-greenberg-defends-matt-lodge-return-with-brisbane-broncos-20180220-h0wdqw.html
ken gargett
Guest
i know that is is so often impossible to pick up attempted humour, even sarcasm at times, purely by the written word when you do not have the benefit of tone, inclination, facial expressions and so on, so if i have misread this and it is an attempt at humour then my apologies. if you are serious, it surely ranks as the silliest idea i've read in a very long time. a lot of us are rather uncomfortable at lodge playing in the NRL, but remember that he has been reinstated by the NRL. not by the broncos. he is, rightly or wrongly, entitled to play and any club is entitled to sign him. whether it was a good choice by the broncos remains to be seen. fingers crossed, though i think there are some justifiable concerns. but that is not the issue. the broncos signed a legitimately available player. and you want them penalised for that? that is truly beyond comprehension. do you intend extending it to any debts owed by any player? if not, please let us know where you draw the line? mortgages? gambling debts? child support? or is this just a dimwitted way to attack the broncos? the broncos have weak morals/ethics? really? weaker than the other clubs? i think you'll find they are no better/worse than any other club. i don't have figures but i suspect that they have moved on more players for poor behaviour than most clubs. you may have an axe to grind against queensland and/or the broncos (too many origins?) but at least keep it sane.
terrence
Guest
Tim and The Barry, Great article. Matt Lodge is an interesting case, especially as he made a plea deal with his victims with compensation (US$1.6m? plus interest?), which has been assumed/alleged by many he has no intention to pay (yet both parents have been in law enforcement...hmmm?). Here is a very easy solution. Very easy! The NRL reduce the Broncos salary cap by twice the amount that Lodge owes his US victims (plus interest) each year till it is paid. And also till the victims amount is paid in full with interest (after approval from the US victims), all Third Party Agreements are invalid and count under the salary cap!!! Imagine the Broncos having to shed 10 to 15 players from their top 25 to keep Lodge!!! But unfortunately the Broncos have weak moral/ethics (Bennett, another ex law enforcemt officer?), and the NRL poor chairmanship (Grant the QLDer has no respect from clubs, can't even remember their names at press conferences? And incoming QLQer chairman Beattie couldn't make a big boy decision unless instructed by the CFMEU or other useless faceless fools). This is an easy one, the victims get their money, Lodge pays, the Broncos/NRMA/Bennett look somewhat ethical, the NRL look slightly normal. Otherwise, all the NRL are doing about reduction in violence towards women, women in league, etc. looks useless and foolish. A bit like Lodge (and his parents), Bennett, the Broncos, NRMA, the NRL, Beattie, Greenberg, and Clark look right now. As I said everyone,. Simple. Very simple!
thomas c
Guest
He's easy to hate. But Russell Packer seems - despite a similarish history - to have gone from villain to barely warranting a mention. Bennett is clearly wagering that Lodge will be a redemption story. You have to hope that things work out for Lodge. He was a fairly young man, so there were decent odds he would at some point be allowed to return to the fold. If you needed him to wait 5 years, then you're essentially destroying his entire career. And he got hit with a million dollar bill, i think, probably as a reflection of perceived future earnings. He'll be living with his punishment for a long time. Making some decent cash and getting back in the NRL, at least makes things less of a flagellation. I think a lot of people could relate to someone a little tarnished and hope they can put it together.
Tim Gore
Expert
In spite of the fact we rarely ever agree on a damn thing, I totally respect your views and see you as a comrade - in that we both love rugby league. BTW did you see Michael Keefe's fan piece? Really good stuff.
Nat
Roar Guru
Interesting read fellas. I hope someone shows this to him so he fully appreciates the opportunity he has been given.
Big Daddy
Guest
Shakespeare,????
Dexter The Hamster
Guest
“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt.” Takes one to know one :-)
Dexter The Hamster
Guest
Larry, think of the victims. They have to watch these violent criminals go and play on Friday night footy, in front of millions of people, scoring tries, winning games, all to the sounds of cheers and grandiose comments from the media. Must be a dagger in the heart. And by the way, white collar crims are not allowed back into their professions. Try being a lawyer or accountant convicted of fraud, see how you go on the job market with that on your CV.
Dexter The Hamster
Guest
Its not just the twitterverse that has complete dills who just like sounding off. We are on The Roar as well #guilty
Dexter The Hamster
Guest
Well said. I agree. Even with my supercoach team, hoping he gets injured pre season, so I don't have to select him.
Dexter The Hamster
Guest
And by "knuckled down and turned his life around" you mean he is no longer terrorising women and children?? Surely that is a basic standard we are all held to. And I live in Brisbane, and follow league very closely, and while it has been reported multiple times, it has only been reported about what a great guy he now is, not what he did. That has been swept under the carpet very conveniently.
Dexter The Hamster
Guest
BD, you probably need to read what this particular miscreant (nice word!!) did and what his penalty was, before deciding that he has "paid his dues". I think one of the sticking points in this whole argument is that he hasn't. He basically got away with it. If it was my family that was terrorised by this guy, there is no way I would want him front and centre on channel 9 every second Friday night for the entire season.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Someone stole his rug...
ken gargett
Guest
grey-hand, you were certainly a bit closer than i was. had a long chat with my mate. i'm still of the view that i am staggered lodge did not get a severe custodial sentence and would have been beyond angry if it happened to family or friends and the assailant escaped jail. my friend was surprised he had not and thought that the odds were good that he would have received such a sentence here (especially with any form of prior offence) but that it was far from certain. surprised me. he has several decades of experience doing just this, and as a prosecutor certainly would have pushed for jail time. but would not think it certain. his view was that whichever way the mag went, it would be close enough that it would not be appeal-able. also, lodge was probably extremely fortunate that no one was more seriously injured. in that case, he would have been gone for sure. one comment he made was that a number of judges and mags have told him that they see their job as partly to keep idiots alive until they are 25 (lodge was only 21 at the time) as by 25, they start to understand things so much better and can make more informed decisions. if the NY judge got it right, kudos to them. he did say that his experience was such that the odds of a recurrence are extremely high. let's hope lodge maintains his rehabilitation and if he does, kudos to the broncs for taking the chance and supporting him. he was very surprised that he avoided jail in the states as they are more inclined to take that route.
Emcie
Roar Guru
I don't have a problem with this, Brisbane took on the responsibility when they signed him, and at the end of the day Lodge is the one that will have to deal with the consequences if he does stuff up
Gray-Hand
Guest
I have practiced in the area, and in my professional opinion, the sentence Lodge received is definitely within the normal range for Australian courts.
Big Daddy
Guest
All care but no responsibility. If he does happen to stuff up they will put the responsibility on Brisbane.
Granter
Guest
I'd say it was a dig aimed at Cronulla pre-2016 GF
Granter
Guest
You were there were you? If he gutter stomped someone they'd be in the past tense mate. He did his time and has turned his life around; would you prefer he'd be punished forever rather than rehabilitated?