Broncos deny star is being shopped at half-price

Broncos coach Kevin Walters has denied that Brisbane is shopping prop Matt Lodge to rival clubs for half price.

A News Corp report said that Brisbane would be prepared to pay half of Lodge's annual $800,000 salary if he moved elsewhere.

Lodge is contracted until the end of 2022 and reportedly has options in his favour for 2023-24; meaning a potential discount of $1.6 million for a new club over the next four seasons.

Yet Walters said on Monday that Lodge was going nowhere and would remain a Broncos player for next season.

"He certainly will be. He's back training with us now, Lodgey, and looking quote good actually," Walters told Sky Sports Radio.

"Quite a skillful player and you forget how big some of these boys are when you don't work with them regularly. He's been very impressive in his first week back at training, so we look forward to slotting him in here at the Broncs again."

Walters said that Lodge, 25, was a valuable player despite coming off an injury-hit season.

"He played very little football last year for the Broncos," Walters said.

"That's one of the things we need to do this year with our players, is get them on the field and get them playing to a level that they're all acceptable at.

"That didn't happen this year at the Broncos, for many different reasons, but certainly Matt had a disappointing year this year with injuries and the like; he only played five or six games.

"We're looking to get a lot more out of him next year in the Broncos jumper. I'm not sure where that [report] has come from but he'll be here in the Broncos jersey next year."

Lodge was touted as a possible Broncos captain under the previous regime of coach Anthony Seibold. The potential appointment was howled down, chiefly by former Brisbane skipper Gorden Tallis.

While Lodge's stocks may have dipped, Walters seems intent on keeping him at the club, given the lack of experience in his talented forward pack.

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