NEWS Lodge: love you Brisbane

Matthew Lodge has another year on his $700,000 (rumoured) contract, and two more as options. Coach Kevin Walters has invited him to leave to free up some cap space, but Matt wants to remain and prove his worth:

“To be honest, I love it here. I owe a lot to this club for giving me another chance. I‘m always grateful to be at the Broncos. I came here four years ago with a 20kg suitcase and I was on Centrelink payments, so whatever happens happens. I don‘t want to leave the club. I will play as hard as I can and give my all until the day I walk out of here.”

“I don’t know what’s going on. I will keep our chat private, you can ask Kevvie what he said to me. He is obviously still thinking about things and obviously they want to sign a halfback and he has made that clear to me."

Cult following

“Something has to give with the salary cap, but I’ll be giving 100 per cent as long as I am at this club. Four years ago, I had nothing and my career was up in the air. I don’t know what happens but as long as I keep playing well there is hope for me. I never not turn up. I always try and play hard for the Broncos jumper so as long as I’m here, I won’t be letting the club down. I’m happy to put my body on the line and I care about the club so I’ll be trying my best for Kevvie. Hopefully I can stay here a while yet.”

Tevita Pangai Jnr:

“Lodgey has put three or four good games together and we’ve seen what he can do in the middle. With his charges in the middle, he inspires all of us. Hopefully he can stay but it’s up to him and the club.”

McHunt

 

[pagey]

Why does he have to? He didn't sign the club to ransom; they offered him the contract.

He can stay for as long as he wants, and his performances definitely don't deserve the panic that goes on in the media or around here.

Maybe all of them can take a 10% haircut and give it to Haas or Staggs?

I'm fine with that

 

[pagey]

He doesn't have to do anything. They effectively owe him another three years pay after this one. But he has to turn up to work and abide by the contract conditions, which will include not playing for anyone else and being a good doggy. There's nothing to stop him doing a Boyd or Milford and putting in a 25% effort, making sure he doesn't get hurt and not giving a **** if he's dropped. He won't though. That's not him.

**** me it's like I kicked some ***** dog ! All I said is if Kevvie needs money and Lodge wants to stay , take a paycut . Go's for all of them.

 

[broncsgoat]

**** me it's like I kicked some ***** dog ! All I said is if Kevvie needs money and Lodge wants to stay , take a paycut . Go's for all of them.

Would you take less at your job so they could bring in another team member?

 

[007]

I actually think its really rich, and poor taste for the club to tap him on the shoulder. He deserves better than that, and really the one who should be getting the tap is flegler.

I hope he continues to put in good performances and stays.

 

[Kooly87]

Would you take less at your job so they could bring in another team member?

I can't realistically see anyone agreeing to do that mid contract, but it does raise the point that there is something to be said for guys being prepared to play for less than top dollar if it means the team they play in has better guys around them and a higher chance of success.

Every player would likely view that sort of thing differently and yes, in today's game that kind of selflessness is largely gone both from the clubs and the players themselves, but I'd wager that if you put it to someone like Nathan Hindmarsh in hindsight now how many small pay cuts he might have been prepared to cop over the years if he'd been able to retire a Premiership winner, then I think there's a fair chance that a price for that did exist.

 

[McHunt]

**** me it's like I kicked some ***** dog ! All I said is if Kevvie needs money and Lodge wants to stay , take a paycut . Go's for all of them.

Whereas the reality is we'll need to pay overs to get anyone to play with us these days.

 

[pagey]

Whereas the reality is we'll need to pay overs to get anyone to play with us these days.

Well maybe he can lead the way take a $100k cut and show the rest of the team what be a Bronco should mean , in reality if he is on $700k+ i think he'll be fine on $600k a yr. Then maybe all these prema Donna's might see the light , it's how good clubs work.

 

[Foordy]

Well maybe he can lead the way take a $100k cut and show the rest of the team what be a Bronco should mean , in reality if he is on $700k+ i think he'll be fine on $600k a yr. Then maybe all these prema Donna's might see the light , it's how good clubs work.

I haven't actually seen anyone at the Storm or Roosters agree to take a pay cut mid-contract

 

[Wolfie]

When he signs for the rorters they will be taking over his $150k a year contract probably. If he stays here he will be on $800k

 

[pagey]

Would you take less at your job so they could bring in another team member?

I work to live and earn just over $100k . Footy players earn at least double that and in lodges case it's 7 times, they also play the game to win a premiership. Sometimes in life you will have to sacrifice something, if he wants to win money can't be everything.
I mean poor guy will need to get by on 5 or 6 hundred thousand but hey I think he'll get bye.
No comparison is the answer to your question.

 

[McHunt]

Well maybe he can lead the way take a $100k cut and show the rest of the team what be a Bronco should mean , in reality if he is on $700k+ i think he'll be fine on $600k a yr. Then maybe all these prema Donna's might see the light , it's how good clubs work.

We're already hemorrhaging players due to them getting more money elsewhere, and failing to attract talent from other clubs. I'm not sure asking the roster to play for less money is going to make them love us more.

 

[pagey]

I haven't actually seen anyone at the Storm or Roosters agree to take a pay cut mid-contract

He's got player options and I'm sure it would happen, cause that's how they roll.

 

[McHunt]

I work to live and earn just over $100k . Footy players earn at least double that and in lodges case it's 7 times, they also play the game to win a premiership. Sometimes in life you will have to sacrifice something, if he wants to win money can't be everything.
I mean poor guy will need to get by on 5 or 6 hundred thousand but hey I think he'll get bye.
No comparison is the answer to your question.

Sportsmen have a short earning window. They need to make as much money as they can, when they can. The lucky few might go on and extend their sporting career into the media or coaching, but I haven't seen any evidence that playing for less money is a way to make that more likely happen.

 

[pagey]

Sportsmen have a short earning window. They need to make as much money as they can, when they can. The lucky few might go on and extend their sporting career into the media or coaching, but I haven't seen any evidence that playing for less money is a way to make that more likely happen.

They still have careers after football, they don't just stop working. If lodge plays 5 years @ $750k that's 3.75mil
How long will it take me on $100k ???
Perspective huh ?
Sorry if I don't feel for the guy

 

[Foordy]

He's got player options and I'm sure it would happen, cause that's how they roll.

one example would be good ... of a guy (from the Roosters or Storm) who has chosen not to activate his player option/s but has still re-signed with them for less money.

 

[Galah]

Sportsmen have a short earning window. They need to make as much money as they can, when they can. The lucky few might go on and extend their sporting career into the media or coaching, but I haven't seen any evidence that playing for less money is a way to make that more likely happen.

True, however if they were smarter with their money it wouldn’t be a problem. Let’s use lodge (not including tax) his contract in total divided by 150k which is a pretty good living per year, gives him about 23 years at that wage.... that’s just a 5 year contract. He’ll still work when his career ends or maybe not if he’s smart with his money.

 

[Kooly87]

If we wanted to ask Lodge to play for less money then I'm sorry, but the time to do that was when we were negotiating his contract. Coming back to him 18 months down the track with a problem that we created and expecting him to take the haircut for it is not only incredibly unprofessional (in thoroughly keeping with the current Broncos standards) but it's also morally a pretty weak thing to do too.

If we want guys to stay for less money then it's now up to the current Administration to put their big boy pants on, earn their damn pay cheque and negotiate that with the guys currently up for renewal.

We've been enough of a laughing stock over the last few years as it is. We don't need to add to it by asking the players themselves to pay for the mistakes of the people who actually made them. If Isaac Moses and the player agents are such master negotiators that have been able to bend us over so badly for so long, maybe the question needs to be why isn't one of them working for us instead of the same clowns who negotiated our shitty end of these deals?

 

[Galah]

I don’t actually have a problem with lodge on 700k at his current standard and he’s only going to get better.

I want to know how we don’t have an absolute ridiculous amount of spare cash next year?