A veteran NRL forward who has been linked with and was reportedly “weighing up” Super League offers has signed with a new club.
Matt Lodge is a player who has seemingly been linked with a Super League switch every year, primarily in part to the fact he typically has been signing one-year deals or extensions with a number of NRL clubs.
Heading into 2026 and once again, Lodge’s deal with an NRL side was up with his Manly contract finished leading to yet more speculation if he could finally make the long-awaited Super League switch.
Just last week, The Daily Telegraph in Australia reported that Lodge was “weighing up” offers from Super League with the increase to the overseas quota benefiting the 30-year-old.
Lodge made 12 appearances for Manly in 2025, taking his NRL tally up to 133 and he’s now set to add to that after signing with a sixth different NRL club ahead of the 2026 season.
Matt Lodge lands NRL deal as Super League sides miss out again
Once again, the Super League clubs who have made offers to Lodge have missed out on his services with the forward reportedly signing a one-year deal with North Queensland Cowboys, per The Daily Telegraph.
Because of the nature of that deal, it’s very likely that we’re in this position again next year with Lodge again ‘weighing up’ Super League offers but for now, his NRL career is set to continue.
The Cowboys have seen Jordan McLean retire meaning Lodge will add to their pack nicely having rejected a new deal on the minimum salary with Manly.
Lodge almost left Manly at the start of 2025 with St George Illawarra interested, however, he stayed with the Sea Eagles in a contract that allowed him to keep working on a building site away from rugby league.
Despite that, he still made 12 appearances across the year with ten of those being starts.
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