Brisbane CEO Paul White has defended signing former NRL bad boy Matt Lodge, saying the controversial forward has “done his time”.
White admits debate over Lodge’s recruitment won’t go away soon as the former Wests Tigers prop prepares for his first NRL game in three years.
But he says the 22-year-old deserves another chance after paying “an enormous price” for his 2015 drunken New York rampage.
“He’s done his time. He’s been out of the game for almost three years,” White said of the giant prop on Friday.
“A lot of people don’t know Matt Lodge like we know him (and) he’s paid an enormous price.
“He realises he has made a terrible mistake.
“There will still be debate about that but all I can say is that I am comfortable with the process we went through with the NRL to get him here.”
Brisbane raised eyebrows when they signed Lodge on a 2018 deal after he was cleared by the NRL integrity unit, two years after being deregistered over his New York arrest.
Lodge avoided jail in the United States after pleading guilty to reckless assault but was hit with a $1.6 million damages bill.
After playing for feeder club Redcliffe in 2017, he is now primed to launch his NRL comeback after monstering Gold Coast in his unofficial return in Brisbane’s opening trial last week.
He gets another chance to impress ahead of their March 8 season opener against St George Illawarra in Saturday’s final trial against PNG Hunters at Port Moresby.
“He has come to the club for the right reasons,” White said.
“He has done an enormous amount of work off the field.”
Brisbane faced renewed criticism this week when a Fairfax report claimed the lawyer of Lodge’s New York attack victims said they had not been paid any of the whopping damages bill.
It is believed Lodge will earn $85,000 in 2018.
White said Brisbane would not get involved in the damages payment.
“The civil matter is between Matt and the claimants,” he said. “It’s a large sum of money. Matt is not on a large contract with our club.
“Hopefully at some stage in the future he will be (on a large contract) if he is successful.
“But there is a long way to go between here and there and that is a matter he has to deal with in the fullness of time.”
1st&10
Guest
This guy is a grub who could no wrong growing up, never disciplined by his Police Parents. His bad behaviour growing up was well known in the Police circles. This is so lucky and should be still making Little Rock’s from big rocks and licence plates. Take the time and read the Inductment in the USA. If the NRL are intent on raising the integrity of the game, Mr Lodge has no right to grace the field of a once great unscripted game
steve
Guest
Why shouldn't these animals be playing and getting paid for something they are good at? I'm interested to know what careers all the high and mighty people on internet forums are deemed good enough for " these animals to earn a living in" Do tell.
steve
Guest
Plenty of people who commit crimes never receive a prison sentence. His case isn't any different than many other people who have committed a crime. You have to have 1.6millon dollars to be able to pay the civil damages awarded to his victims against him. Maybe he will play well enough to earn a decent contract and have the ability to start paying his victims the damages they are owed. Earning 45k a year stacking shelves at woolies or picking orders at a warehouse isn't going to get his victims paid.
Rick
Guest
What time has he done? He never went to jail and he hasn't paid the compensation he was instructed by the court to pay to his victims - people with a child he had terrorised with brutal thuggery. Being welcomed to to play in the NRL shows how morally bankrupt the game (seeking to be thought of as family friendly) and it's leaders are.
Emcie
Roar Guru
Like William said, I really don't get the whole "he hasn't paid the damages yet" claim. $1.6 mil would take Hayne over 3 years to pay off with his current contract and thats with every cent going towards it, this guy is on nowhere near that kind of coin. The minimum wage in the NRL is $100k (which he is reported to have been signed on) and it would take him 16 years to pay that off whithout accounting for costs of living, so how is he meant to have paid off that large a sum issued less then a year ago? I'm not saying he sould be cleared off all sins, but we should at least keep any criticism within realistic boundaries.
PanthertillIdie
Guest
Surely the point is; these animals shouldn’t be playing in the NRL? I still don’t get it!!?
Nat
Roar Guru
Those are two separate issues though Adam. I am not defending his actions but if the courts didn't put him in jail and he is still trying to work out a payment plan because he doesn't have $1.6m what more is he supposed to do? His victims have more opportunity of getting paid if he makes a successful return to league then digging holes for $40k pa. He is not out partying and living large, hasn't touched a drop for 3yrs, working with many charities and youth (even with Jimmy the Jet with grog issues). He has been given a set of criteria both by the courts and NRL and abiding by them all. Look beyond the headline of "he hasn't paid", there is a process to follow and he is following them.
Adam
Guest
He didn't go to jail and hasn't paid any money in compensation. How exactly has he done his time? Simply being out of the game isn't enough
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
Barba is free to return. I believe he’s 12 match ban was honoured by his super league side and that should be good enough for the NRL. I have seen nothing to indicate he’s not allowed to return. He wasn’t even deregistered by the NRL. He was given a ban and then sacked by Cronulla. Then the NRL said whoever signed him would have to have him sit out 12 games first. Fake news.
PanthertillIdie
Guest
?? ‘he’s done his time’, ‘people don’t know him like I know him’ blah blah blah... He’s a violent thug who does not belong in the NRL where kids look up to players and try to emulate them in every way. Lodge needs the NRL a hell of a lot more than the NRL needs him. What exactly is the NRL’s criteria for registering players? They simply make it up as they go along. The question was raised on NRL360 the other week whether Ben Barba had a way back to the NRL. The consensus from the pundits was that no he wouldn’t! Am I missing something here? People like Lodge and Packer can come back after the crimes they committed but Ben Barba can’t after his indiscretions. I don’t get it. And I’m not saying Barba should be able to come back, I just don’t understand the decision making. But then I keep forgetting, the NRL is run by idiots.
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
I would say he’s done time out of the game but as for actual prison time... he hasn’t. Not really his fault though seeing as he did plea guilty. Imo there’s nothing Lodge can do but put his head down and play. No matter what he does from this point on, be it pay back the 1.6 mil (how people expect him to have paid that off when he was playing reserve grade and training to be a sparky idk) or whatever he’s always going to have this stigma on him. I hope he goes well and earns a big enough contract to start paying it off.