{"id":322367,"date":"2025-12-02T08:37:29","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T08:37:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/322367\/"},"modified":"2025-12-02T08:37:29","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T08:37:29","slug":"matt-lodge-handed-shock-nrl-lifeline-for-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/322367\/","title":{"rendered":"Matt Lodge handed shock NRL lifeline for 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Controversial NRL prop Matt Lodge looked set to be out of options in the NRL following the conclusion of his Sea Eagles<\/a> contract at the end of the 2025 season.<\/p>\n

It was widely expected the 30-year-old would finish his career in the UK Super League after an injury-hit three years with the Sea Eagles and discussions with several English clubs.<\/p>\n

In a shock twist in the veteran prop\u2019s career, he has secured a one-year deal with the North Queensland Cowboys<\/a> for next season, according to news.com.au<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Lodge put himself on the open market earlier this year after rejecting a \u201cminimum wage\u201d contract extension with the Sea Eagles to extend his stay in Manly.<\/p>\n

MORE: Asofa-Solomona signs massive deal – and it’s not in union or league<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t play for that amount when that sort of money is given to a kid just coming out of a school who hasn\u2019t played a game of NRL,\u201d Lodge said at the time.<\/p>\n

Despite his time on the sidelines, Lodge impressed Cowboys coach Todd Payten with his performances in the final eight games of the Sea Eagles\u2019 season.<\/p>\n

The Cowboys moved quickly to bolster their middle rotation after seeing Jordan McClean retire and recognising a lack of genuine size and experience in the middle of the field.<\/p>\n

Lodge will now join his sixth NRL club, following stints at the Tigers<\/a>, Broncos<\/a>, Warriors<\/a>, Roosters<\/a>, and Sea Eagles.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Known for his aggression and yardage ability when fully fit, Lodge\u2019s career has also been marred by controversy, including a high-profile arrest in New York and a two-week stint at Rikers Island Prison.<\/p>\n

Wayne Bennett famously resurrected Lodge\u2019s career in 2018 by signing him to the Broncos, a gamble that paid off on the field despite his turbulent past.<\/p>\n

The Cowboys are now hoping the powerful prop can provide experience and impact in their forward pack for the upcoming season after failing to play finals football in 2025.<\/p>\n

Whilst many have questioned the signing, if Payten can get the best out of the firebrand then there is still plenty left in the tank to contribute for a side searching for steady front-rowers in their rotation.<\/p>\n

If Lodge can recapture the form that made him a feared enforcer in his prime, his addition could be the difference between a middling pack and a forward rotation capable of dominating.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Controversial NRL prop Matt Lodge looked set to be out of options in the NRL following the conclusion…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":322368,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[568],"tags":[64,63,761,762,158,85],"class_list":["post-322367","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nrl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-national-rugby-league","tag-nationalrugbyleague","tag-nrl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/322367","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=322367"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/322367\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/322368"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=322367"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=322367"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=322367"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}