NEWS Sampson: Lodge can make up for his past

[Aldo]

Leave.....Vonny......alone....

 

[broncos4life]

If you have to ask, you probably can't see the forest.

Cmon mate this adds nothing, gets you some likes though. Anyway I’m not sure why I’m surprised, just a typical pattern of discussion on here.

 

[Unbreakable]

I'm not defending Lodge in the slightest for the record, what he did was ridiculously irresponsible and juvenile and deserves all the punishment he received.

With that being said, it's fucked up that everyone is up in arms about a drunken hooligan on holidays getting in to some mischief but guys like Russell Packer receive nothing but praise by everyone in the media. "Great signing by the Tigers, he's really turned his life around after nearly killing an unconscious man by stomping on his head."

How is what Lodge did even in the same category? Honestly there's 9-10 WORSE offending players playing in the NRL right now, maybe even more. How about Paul Carter? That bloke is absolute filth, constantly getting caught over the limit, scamming fans, you name it, and he's received how many different opportunities to play in the NRL, 4? 5? Rarely any headlines about the integrity of the clubs that pick him up, they just call him a "great redemption story" until he ***** up again.

 

[Broncs_Fan]

I'm not defending Lodge in the slightest for the record, what he did was ridiculously irresponsible and juvenile and deserves all the punishment he received.

With that being said, it's fucked up that everyone is up in arms about a drunken hooligan on holidays getting in to some mischief but guys like Russell Packer receive nothing but praise by everyone in the media. "Great signing by the Tigers, he's really turned his life around after nearly killing an unconscious man by stomping on his head."

How is what Lodge did even in the same category? Honestly there's 9-10 WORSE offending players playing in the NRL right now, maybe even more. How about Paul Carter? That bloke is absolute filth, constantly getting caught over the limit, scamming fans, you name it, and he's received how many different opportunities to play in the NRL, 4? 5? Rarely any headlines about the integrity of the clubs that pick him up, they just call him a "great redemption story" until he ***** up again.

I don't think anyone has ever said Carter is a great redemption story at any club.

And Packer was subject to the same criticism that Lodge is being subject to before he played for the Dragons. Since that time Packer has completed a uni degree and been a total cleanskin.

People praising Packer is not comparable here because Packer is a few years down the road from where Lodge is.

Lodge has just got to be a total clean skin for the next 2 or 3 years and his story will also be a redemption story.

 

[cantab of broncoland]

I don't think anyone has ever said Carter is a great redemption story at any club.

And Packer was subject to the same criticism that Lodge is being subject to before he played for the Dragons. Since that time Packer has completed a uni degree and been a total cleanskin.

People praising Packer is not comparable here because Packer is a few years down the road from where Lodge is.

Lodge has just got to be a total clean skin for the next 2 or 3 years and his story will also be a redemption story.

Well he's been a total clean skin since it happened let's almost 900 days ago, been completely sober for let's see oh yeah almost 3 yrs, guess redemption doesn't count unless your playing in the NRL.

 

[Broncs_Fan]

Well he's been a total clean skin since it happened let's almost 900 days ago, been completely sober for let's see oh yeah almost 3 yrs, guess redemption doesn't count unless your playing in the NRL.

I think he deserves another chance for sure. But at the moment he's just ticked a bunch of boxes to be allowed to play again. The hard part is being a good person now he has been allowed to play again.

 

[theshed]

I'm not defending Lodge in the slightest for the record, what he did was ridiculously irresponsible and juvenile and deserves all the punishment he received.

With that being said, it's fucked up that everyone is up in arms about a drunken hooligan on holidays getting in to some mischief but guys like Russell Packer receive nothing but praise by everyone in the media. "Great signing by the Tigers, he's really turned his life around after nearly killing an unconscious man by stomping on his head."

How is what Lodge did even in the same category? Honestly there's 9-10 WORSE offending players playing in the NRL right now, maybe even more. How about Paul Carter? That bloke is absolute filth, constantly getting caught over the limit, scamming fans, you name it, and he's received how many different opportunities to play in the NRL, 4? 5? Rarely any headlines about the integrity of the clubs that pick him up, they just call him a "great redemption story" until he ***** up again.

Honestly I’m not here to crucify Lodge. I am actually very undecided on my stance at the moment but ‘Drunken hooligan’ and ‘mischief’ are extremely dismissive of his behaviour. He broke into a house, threatened people they were going to die tonight, attempted to assault police officers and if any of those messy haymakers he threw with 120kg behind them managed to land clean it could have been very damaging. Packers redemption story is bullshit, I agree. I actually think the crimes are very similar in severity except as far as I know Packer didn’t chase the guy into a residential building and try to get to his family.

I can accept the argument that it may have been out of character due to being intoxicated but this isn’t a nothing act like some people are trying to make it seem here.

An extreme version of some peoples arguments here would be “yeah he tried to run someone over with his car but he was far to drunk to actually hit the guy. He barely managed to nudge the guy cause he was way too drunk to drive accurately”

 

[Unbreakable]

Honestly I’m not here to crucify Lodge. I am actually very undecided on my stance at the moment but ‘Drunken hooligan’ and ‘mischief’ are extremely dismissive of his behaviour. He broke into a house, threatened people they were going to die tonight, attempted to assault police officers and if any of those messy haymakers he threw with 120kg behind them managed to land clean it could have been very damaging. Packers redemption story is bullshit, I agree. I actually think the crimes are very similar in severity except as far as I know Packer didn’t chase the guy into a residential building and try to get to his family.

I can accept the argument that it may have been out of character due to being intoxicated but this isn’t a nothing act like some people are trying to make it seem here.

An extreme version of some peoples arguments here would be “yeah he tried to run someone over with his car but he was far to drunk to actually hit the guy. He barely managed to nudge the guy cause he was way too drunk to drive accurately”

I get where you're coming from 100%, but unless we know the exact details of the way things unfolded that night I don't think we can label him than being anything other than a drunk hooligan.

Do we have any "leaked" footage of him entering the building or any of the events the lead up to the CCTV footage that was leaked? All I've heard is their version of the story which is him breaking in and threatening their lives. Lodge has admitted he was so drunk that he can't even remember what happened that night, who knows how much they could've exaggerated what happened that night.

Of course they may not have exaggerated at all and their side of the story could be completely factual, but we'll never know. Either way, I view Packer's incident as considerably worse A) because he tried to kill someone and B) because there was multiple eye witnesses that weren't the victims themselves who could be in line to benefit massively financially from making it seem worse than it was.

 

[Mr Fourex]

I SPENT two hours in a closed room alone with Matt Lodge.

It was a confronting, confusing, yet fascinating experience.

I became aroused at this point of the article and had to leave the room to relieve myself.

Should I bother reading the rest, or have I already read the best part of the story?

 

[tommy]

I became aroused at this point of the article and had to leave the room to relieve myself.

Should I bother reading the rest, or have I already read the best part of the story?

How dare you suggest such things of Yvonne. That woman is a saint who can do no wrong.

 

[Porthoz]

Cmon mate this adds nothing, gets you some likes though. Anyway I’m not sure why I’m surprised, just a typical pattern of discussion on here.

Oh please, you know I'm not on BHQ for the likes, and I'm not going to get into this "pattern of discussion". I tell the things as I see them, whether that brings me likes or the ire of BHQ members. I've seen a fair share of both.

What I see now, is a lot of people rightfully enraged about the media treatment given to the Broncos in regards to Lodge, especially when you look at all the fairy tale redemption stories offered to other players who did something as bad or worse than him.
Of course, his victims chasing the dollars and lying about his attitude, regret, remorse, etc... since the incident, doesn't help.

As a result, not only are Lodge's actions being diminished to a drunken brawl fight (trees), pretending the only thing that happened was what was shown on that video (more trees), but anything published that isn't in his defence, is tarnished as character assassination (yet more trees), regardless of the actual truth (forest).

Of course they may not have exaggerated at all and their side of the story could be completely factual, but we'll never know. Either way, I view Packer's incident as considerably worse A) because he tried to kill someone and B) because there was multiple eye witnesses that weren't the victims themselves who could be in line to benefit massively financially from making it seem worse than it was.

You're forgetting the witness account of the two German women, with whom this whole saga started, the fact that the husband's account of the altercation matches the CCTV, the evidence of the damage inside the apartment, including to the door where the woman and child were found hiding, and that all their statements were given to police immediately after the fact, when this was a criminal matter, as opposed to a civil one.

 

[Clintos]

**** sake

 

[broncos4life]

Oh please, you know I'm not on BHQ for the likes, and I'm not going to get into this "pattern of discussion". I tell the things as I see them, whether that brings me likes or the ire of BHQ members. I've seen a fair share of both.

What I see now, is a lot of people rightfully enraged about the media treatment given to the Broncos in regards to Lodge, especially when you look at all the fairy tale redemption stories offered to other players who did something as bad or worse than him.
Of course, his victims chasing the dollars and lying about his attitude, regret, remorse, etc... since the incident, doesn't help.

As a result, not only are Lodge's actions being diminished to a drunken brawl fight (trees), pretending the only thing that happened was what was shown on that video (more trees), but anything published that isn't in his defence, is tarnished as character assassination (yet more trees), regardless of the actual truth (forest).

Thank you for elaborating so we can have an actual discussion.

I see what you are saying and it is properly a good reminder about not diminishing the crime. IMO I don’t think anyone is intentionally doing that, I can only speak for myself but I am just sick of it so that could be leading to diminishing it. The other factor for me is that we have had months of hearing that this was the worst thing ever and he has shown no remorse or attempted to reach responsible compensation. Then all of a sudden sound truth comes out to counter that (especially the last 2 points) and is fucking frustrating.

End of the day I don’t believe anyone is excusing what happened, we are just tired of the exact same stuff being peddled over and over and over. I’m sorry to the guys that love Yvonne but this is the same stuff once again.

 

[Browny]

Spot on

 

[cantab of broncoland]

I think he deserves another chance for sure. But at the moment he's just ticked a bunch of boxes to be allowed to play again. The hard part is being a good person now he has been allowed to play again.

Problem with that is the media thinks it's a good crusade piece regardless of the harm they may do. The media have this warped idea where they think the whole country thinks the way they slant their stories, so very quickly the media is making the news instead of just trporting the facts.

 

[GCBRONCO]

I’ll add that he deserves to cop whatever media bashing he gets and how he deals with it is his problem, and the Broncos’ problem as we’ve recruited him. We have to cop it sweet and hope that it is a redemption story in the end. At this point, we are a very long way off claiming it as such.

Got no problem with him copping what he fairly deserves, I do however have no time for misrepresenting facts to make things or a person look worse then they really are which the media is frequently too guilty of and it's already shown here to have occured. What Lodge did was a low act and he has a long way to go before redemption is even on the cards, but that doesn't mean they are free from criticism for misrepresenting or making false claims they make.

 

[Porthoz]

End of the day I don’t believe anyone is excusing what happened, we are just tired of the exact same stuff being peddled over and over and over. I’m sorry to the guys that love Yvonne but this is the same stuff once again.

Pretending that video was all there is to the case, and making it sound just like some drunken brawl is excusing what happened, especially when you take into account that he was charged with the same offenses in Sydney 6 months before this.

I don't agree Yvonne's interview is the same stuff. She didn't demonise him, but she didn't put him on a pedestal either.
She simply reported her interactions with him, and if anything, made him look like a vulnerable young man, probably very ashamed, distant and finding it hard to talk about the whole drama.

Honestly, I rather read that than the usual cooked up commonplace statements rehashed for this type of cases.

 

[Morkel]

I don’t believe they are misrepresenting him. A letter written by his lawyer (or at least, poured over) to decrease damages means little to me, and even less to his victims, I’m sure.

It doesn't matter what it means, the truth of the matter is that he has expressed remorse and he has made contact to try to rectify the situation. The media were only reporting what the victims were claiming, but thankfully they now have egg on their face because they were lying.