Leeds Rhinos close in on immediate signing of NRL powerhouse
North Queensland Cowboys star Matthew Lodge.
Leeds Rhinos have agreed a deal to sign Matt Lodge in a move that will see him join the club immediately.
Love Rugby League understands that Lodge has emerged as a late target for the Rhinos, with negotiations progressing rapidly and an arrangement now in place that will see the North Queensland Cowboys player join the club ahead of theirpush for a first Grand Final in almost a decade.
Lodge, 31, has enjoyed a lengthy career in both Australia and the Super League, having represented the likes of Brisbane Broncos, New Zealand Warriors, Sydney Roosters and the Cowboys, making 148 appearances in the NRL.
The Rhinos have been keen to add a new recruit to their pack, which had seen them show interest in Herman Ese’ese, but this move represents the end of that, with Leeds now no longer chasing a deal to sign the Hull FC forward.
Braiden Hamlin-Uele was another player they had shown interest in but that too is now no longer on the table, with Lodge the major pack addition that has been recruited to eventually help replace Mikolaj Oledzki once he heads to the NRL to play for Perth Bears.
Leeds are expected to be in a position to confirm the move by the weekend, and he will be able to finalise a deal ahead of the transfer deadline.
For Lodge, meanwhile, it represents another chapter in a career that has already taken him from the NRL to Super League and now, potentially, to one of the competition’s biggest clubs.
His NRL career started with Wests Tigers in 2014 but was sacked by the club after being arrested in America which resulted in him being handed 200 hours of community service upon his return to Australia.
He got his career back on track with Brisbane Broncos in 2018 and remained there for over three seasons before a mid-season switch to New Zealand Warriors, but only stayed for a year before a move to Sydney Roosters.
Another mid-season switch followed as he made his way to Manly in 2023, and remained there until the end of last season before making the move to the Cowboys.
Leeds are currently top of Super League after 22 rounds, two points clear of Wigan Warriors.
