(Execute rare long-ish post - persevere!)
Agree with Bozo mostly, and there is an interesting background to this.
History:
(Wiki) Lodge signed a 1-year contract worth an estimated AU$85,000 with
Brisbane Broncos for the 2018
National Rugby League season, in an attempt to resurrect his career. NRL was scrutinised for allowing the player contract whilst he still owed $2mill to victims of his 2015 US rampage.
Shortly after, Lodge was offered big $$ to stay at Broncos in 2020 (a 4-million for 5-year deal), and then Kev Walters took over and terminated the contract - as Lodge wasn't the right cultural fit - or words to that effect.
He was moved on to the Warriors on an $850k deal that the Warriors thought was good value, given - the Brocs were paying half of that (or so we are told..) - from a business decision perspective, shrewd operating from the Warriors one would think.
But it didn't work out at the Warriors (more info below), and he was moved on the the Rooters - who generally recognise talent at value-for-money (sombrero and brown-paper-golf-bags help), and they determined they had a place for certain player to fill, which Lodge obviously before being moved on to us. Note, the Broncos were still paying for Lodge when he was at Rooters.
The only consolation is we have a guy who 2-years ago was pulling $850k (even if he was being paid by 2 clubs), and yet we have him on a train-and-trial - which is the League terminology for paying SFA.
Opinion:
So the things that I find interesting is that Walters (ie Broncos), Warriors, & Roosters all find Lodge unbackable to the point of paying to move him on mid-contract. Yet Seibs started this guy's redemption at Brisbane (for all the good it did him), and is now yet again backing him into the Manly system.
So does it really come down to Manager loyalty by Seibold? Does he see something in Lodge we all don't? Does he command a Des-Foran type of respect? Or is it pupeteer Moses (extended family) pulling strings here?
If we conlcude Seibold is somewhat of a genius, we might have a great signing here for basically nothing. If he ISN'T on point though, we potentially have some
serious problems at Manly as others have alluded to both here and in the media - with Seibold stacking the club with questionable intent (ie to service the Moses clan.....bad), and bad cultural decisions on players infiltrating the club via the EASIEST of access doors (IE Seibold being captive to the Moses's'sssss)
Source:
www.stuff.co.nz
*Interesting reading - Warrior's perspective on the move to Rooters.
Seibold:
Seibold has to improve the team. Soon. Now even. Signing players like Brooks/Woods/Lodge may seem to be poor long-term planning according to some - but Seibold doesn't have long-term. He needs to at least finish better than 13th this year to start to justify the sacking of Des to the Penns and earn some leeway to differentiate.
And then arguably he needs significant top-4 results 2024 - with the cattle we have (available at least....looking at YOU TOM), most consider that a very realistic position. He isn't taking over the basket-case Tigers (he's just buying all their players...
🙁) - and he doesn't need to oversee a full rebuild like Ciraldo at the Dogs.
And his strategy has to be to deliver on that - even if it has short-term consequences of not hatching some local eggs (Fainus', Meyers, Feledy, possibly Stuckey, hopefully not Humphreys too.....) - Seibold doesn't have the luxury of waiting for Juniors to 'come good'. You can't blame Seibold for playing the best hand he has available to him - his coaching career must be tied to results - and we as fans demand it as much as Penn/Management do.
Seibold Signings:
He has signed on Woods for Almonds, Lodge for Peanuts - experience we all cry out for (They are no BK - nobody available is sorry - closest we had was Joel Thompson and we let him fly to the Super League). All the whilst investing in the 'Juniors' that aren't unpalatable - like Schuster long-term, Koula, Trbojevics'.. even if Schuster is out of position, its a statement signing that says 'people devoted to the club, have a place at it'. I don't feel too bad about that approach to be honest, and if we burn a few mercenaries en-route, then so be it.
Penrith did similar less than 5-years back and look at them now. Why do we need Gould to state the fkn obvious? And lets face it, the Fainus' were not devoted ot the club in the same way Turbo-clan are, Tartak made sure of it, and Pacifika mentality was easily exploitable for a guy like Mario.
From what I could see, Loyalty would have seen the Fainu clan signed on FOR LIFE to Manly, after what the club did for Manase during that trial, and what it cost them (Api for one, moot point though as Manase was available when that decision was made - but it was a HUGE decision to let him go in hindsight). Was it self-serving to support Manase? Sure. Did it hurt the club? Undoubtedly. And now if the stories are to be believed, they are pushing for a better future and more support elsewhere? And we blame the management for not acquiescing to that? Fk that. No. Are we Moses' biitch, Tartak's, or the collecitve Fainu's?? Why is the growth of a managerial spine right now (even if unevenly) a bad thing? Benefit of doubt can hopefully apply here....
Lodge....Forgive and forget? Or just Forget?
Lodge's transgressions over in the US were 2015 - You can't seriously hold him to account for that today on that particular incident unless you believe in 1-strike and your done. His character is not the leading hiring criteria in his signing, but admittedly it is a consideration of concern for me given Josh A over Pride.... But...I'm willing to acknowledge that Lodge has matured/grown since 2015 and become a (slightly) better human. We must hope rehabilitation works, else anything you do in your teens/early 20's determines your life trajectory. No thanks.
However......his club-hopping behaviour since can't be linked to that criminal charge - it doesn't fill me with confidence given he has been moved on from 3 clubs in 3 years basically. All on elements of charater/influence/culture. Worried? A little bit, yes. Felt we had enough of this personality challenge with Aloiai's somewhat club-disruptive stance post-Pride (regardless of the merit of his position it DID disrupt the club big time - several losses on the trot are kinda all the evidence I need....). Last thing we need is ANOTHER agitator/disruptor in the Fwd pack.
Outcomes:
Worst case Scenario, Lodge plays Blacktown for rest of the year denying....who? Morgan Boyle a starting spot? Will anyone seriously nark up at that, given the shiit ST piles on that poor fellow? Seibs either has a view on this - or he is grossly naive. Live and die by our choices I guess.
If he occupies a spot currently taken by Woods (ho hum as per ST), or Out-of-favour Keppie (ST has said it - he has too many spells of dropsies! Not enough consistency! I like the kid though and would stick with him...) .....maybe covering the likely-departing S Fainu..... eep surely not Sipley, or even pushing out Aloiai (even if some would be ok with that, I admit I wouldn't be ok with a Lodge/Aloiai swapsies!).....omg not Paseka surely, nooo! He's been a shining light this season!.....
Well yeah, then we have some serious questions to ask of coaching on what eventuates. Seibold SURELY isn't that naive and impulsive, but if he is, better we find that out now than in 2-3 years when he has us positioned for our first spoon, right?
However.....x-factor here - Is Seibold maybe the
only one who can 'tame' Lodge into career-defining performance, that represents solid ROI on a Train-and-Trial, and an eventual future at the club?? Even on a Train and Trial, when corrosive cultural impact is well documented? Time shall tell - could be genius move or absolute clusterfk.
And if Lodge is indeed living on the Northern Beaches now, surely that mellows a guy approaching his 30's? What better lifestyle could promote a change in ones' direction than our beloved stomping ground? It's "God's country" after all... and boy do I miss it, living overseas! I remember the talk about Dylan Walker's issues - I ran into Dylan a few times at DeeWhy/Narrabeen over his contract and found the guy a real delight, lovely human - despite the rap sheet. There is hope. And look at Dylan now, at the Warriors, smashing it.
We either write this off as desperate attention-seeking, or we try and understand Seib's vision and 'process' here. Admittedly, Seibs has NOT won me over with his strategic acumen yet, despite his media-facing capabilites to 'put on a good show' for the Fox-aligned critiquers. Des sucked at winning the media, at least Siebold doesn't create artifical media-targets on our guys backs through his non-adherence (as much as I respected Des for his take-no-prisoners attitude to the media)
I will therefore occupy a cowardly position on Lodge. Firmly on the fence about this one - so I can rant/claim on ST in future (as we do..), on what is literally the toss of a coin on this one. Seibs has either delivered a masterstroke or a monumental fk-up - and I doubt middle-ground will occupy anyone's thoughts in 6-9 months time.
