Matt Lodge has been seen playing in the suburban rugby union in Brisbane, just days after his release from the New Zealand Warriors.
The 26-year-old prop left the Warriors sensationally on Friday, reportedly unwilling to move his family to New Zealand.
The mid-season move raised eyebrows because the Warriors, currently based at Redcliffe, will not move to Auckland until next season, while Lodge has no other contract announced.
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Pictures of Lodge playing rugby union for North Brisbane’s second-tier team in a 27-14 loss to Bond on Tuesday night have now surfaced. Lodge played 50 minutes off the bench as No. 8 after paying his registration fee to play “on the spot.”
Warriors coach Nathan Brown was asked why Lodge chose not to play this season given that they are in Queensland, but said: “Lodgey was more interested in the other side, which is ok.
“Just go ahead, no. Just wish him the best and he came and wished the best to all the boys, he enjoyed playing with the boys.
“He established good relations with many of the players, so this is sometimes the case in sports. Everyone shakes hands and leaves.
Lodge has been replaced by former Dunamis Lui Origin support, who signed with the Warriors for the rest of 2022.
It is speculated that Lodge could join the Dolphins in 2023 while theDaily Telegraph reported that he recently bought a house on the beaches of northern Sydney, and generated suggestions that he might join Manly.