Matt Lodge, who was released from his contract last week, was "still simmering" from a bust-up with the Warriors owner at a Brisbane pub. Photo / Photosport
Matt Lodge, who was released from his contract last week, was "still simmering" from a bust-up with the Warriors owner at a Brisbane pub. Photo / Photosport
Bizarre details have emerged of former prop Matt Lodge's messy exit from the Warriors last week, including a pub bust-up with the owner and a costly payout. Michael Burgess reports.
The Warriors have confirmed that a major relationship breakdown between owner Mark Robinson and former prop Matt Lodge contributed tothe player's shock exit last week.
A bust-up between Robinson and Lodge at a Brisbane pub last December – described as a "heated discussion" - was a factor in Lodge's sudden release last Friday.
Warriors chief executive Cameron George confirmed the incident had occurred and that it was "still simmering" for Lodge over the past six months.
George said it wasn't the sole factor in Lodge's departure, but conceded it played a significant part.
In an extended - and sometimes bizarre - press conference on Thursday, it was also confirmed:
- The Warriors had agreed a settlement with Lodge, that included buying out his option for next season. - Those wages will come off the Warriors salary cap for 2023. - The Warriors agreed the payout, partly due to "the challenges" that Lodge had had last December. - Lodge no longer wanted to play for Robinson and matters came to a head last week. - Former club Brisbane are no longer contributing to any of Lodge's salary.
The development is another hammer blow to the club, on and off the field, with the reputational damage immeasurable, especially regarding the pub confrontation.
George, who was in the vicinity at the time, downplayed speculation that it was a "fight", describing it as an argument between two "strong-willed males". But he admitted it has had lingering repercussions, despite the efforts to repair the damage in the subsequent days and weeks.
"I don't know if we ever moved on from it," said George. "There are a number of moving parts [to Lodge's release] but I have no doubt that played a big part in it as well.
"Maybe he didn't want to play for Mark anymore? Mark has to accept that – not every player does and not every player will in the future."
George said both parties had been professional within the work environment in the ensuing months, but agreed that the situation had become irreparable, which led to Lodge checking out early.
"That was Matt's call," said George. "When we sat down last week he wanted a release now. We talked about the challenges he had back in December and so on and he is still simmering through that."
Matt Lodge was granted an early release from his contract last week. Photo / Photosport
That has led to the bizarre scenario of the Warriors paying Lodge's wages for the next 18 months.
"Matt had an option next year, we effectively bought that option out because he still could have taken it up and we just wanted to move on in different directions," said George.
George wouldn't confirm the size of the pay out – due to standard confidentiality clauses – but it's understood Lodge's annual salary was well in excess of $400,000.
Despite that, George insisted that their salary cap position for 2023 and beyond was stable, with the majority of contracts already agreed for next year. He also maintained that the fallout would not provide further distractions for a team already desperate to resuscitate their season.
George didn't expect more dramas or issues within the playing group arising out of this incident. It has been reported by Australian media that the NRL Integrity unit will be investigating, but George said that all of the release documentation had been approved by the governing body.
When asked by the Herald why the club was going to such lengths to appease and compensate Lodge, despite the player wanting out, George said they were "fulfilling our contractual obligations."
He added that the Warriors had no regrets over signing Lodge, who arrived with plenty of baggage, though his output on the field couldn't be questioned.
George also said Robinson was committed to creating the best possible high performance environment.
"Mark is very strong on trying to get everything right and if that means we've got to sacrifice certain parts of our business or a salary cap [then] so be it," said George.
George said he understood the fans' frustration and disillusionment – which has reached new levels over the last few weeks - but said the release decision was the "best outcome".
"It's not ideal, but it's just a decision that all the parties made," said George. "There's nothing more to it. You boil it down; you've got two guys who had an argument. And it kept simmering along underneath and we came up with a solution."
