Matt Lodge's Cowboys Debut Under a Cloud Ahead of NRL Vegas Opener
Matt Lodge's highly anticipated debut for the North Queensland Cowboys is shrouded in uncertainty after the new recruit was surprisingly listed in the No.21 jersey for the team's NRL season opener against the Knights in Las Vegas. Despite extensive efforts to secure his travel to the United States, a decade after his arrest for a violent home invasion, there is no guarantee he will take the field.
Players Caught Off Guard by Lodge Questions
During a meet and greet with Las Vegas Raiders NFL players, Cowboys teammates Sam McIntyre and Harrison Edwards were unexpectedly quizzed about Lodge's status. 7NEWS reporter Jelisa Apps pressed them, asking, "Is he fit, is he fine? Is there a little injury?" McIntyre quickly deflected, saying, "That's not a question for the boys (laugh)," while Edwards added, "Yeah, we've still got to do our opposed session so we've still got to get through that and then there's a few other things we've got to tick off."
Jersey Sizing Excuse Raises Eyebrows
North Queensland attributed Lodge's placement on the extended bench to a rare logistics issue with jersey sizing. Apps explained, "That's because the Cowboys are playing in a specially designed kit. The club said Lodge could only fit into the No.21, which does seem like a little bit of an unusual excuse." She noted that clarity is expected when coach Todd Payten finalizes the squad closer to kick-off.
Lodge Reflects on Past and Future in Vegas
In a press conference a day earlier in Vegas, Lodge addressed his return to the US, stating, "I wouldn't say avoid travelling to the US, I wouldn't say it was No.1 on my to-do list. I'm grateful that they let me back in. Obviously probably a different person than when I came 11 years ago." At age 20, he made global headlines after a drunken rampage and home invasion in New York led to his arrest at gunpoint.
Reflecting on the incident, Lodge said, "There's been a lot up and down and I've probably ridden that moment for the last 11, 12 years. At the end of the day still grateful I've managed to have a career. At one point it probably wasn't looking that way as everyone knows. It still follows me but at the end of the day this probably gives me a bit of closure on it as well. Everything's sorted out and I can get on with life."
Club Support and Personal Growth
Lodge offered to skip the Vegas opener, but the Cowboys backed his visa application, which was eventually approved by US authorities. This marks his sixth NRL club and fifth since his 2018 comeback from the arrest. He emphasized his personal growth, saying, "My whole life's changed now. I've got four kids at home. I think I was 18 when it happened. I had a fake ID and I was over here for a footy trip. It was a mistake. It was an accident. I wish it didn't happen, but it did."
