NZ Warriors have reportedly given former prop Matt Lodge a payout of more than AU$700,000, after he was released from the rest of his contract with the Auckland club.
Last week, Lodge, 26, was granted an early release from his contract with the Warriors, because he didn't want to relocate to New Zealand next year, when the club finally returns home, after spending the last three seasons based in Australia, due to COVID-19
But as a result of the early end to his contract, Australia's Fox Sports reports Lodge has been paid out AUS$700,000 (NZ$766,000) for what should have been the rest of his contract - with that figure counting towards the Warriors' NRL salary cap until the end of 2023.
That payment will undoubtedly hurt the Warriors' attempts to replace him or retain current players until the end of next year.
Speaking on NRL 360, journalist Phil Rothfeld hit out at the decision to pay Lodge out in full, as well as the Warriors' decision to release Lodge immediately, rather than at the end of the season.
"If any football player walks into his employer or any employer, and says, 'I have had enough and for personal reasons I don't want to move my family to New Zealand', say 'OK, fine that's the end of the contract'," he said.
"But for some reason the CEO of the Warriors, Cameron George, won't explain it to me. I have texted him, I have rung him... he is hiding behind confidentiality clauses.
"There are a lot of fans in New Zealand wanting to know why he got $700,000. It ruins their cap for the remainder of this year and next year."
Fellow NRL 360 panelist Paul Kent also suggested the payment be investigated by the NRL's integrity unit, questioning the Warriors' handling of the situation, when Lodge was the party demanding an exit.
"It does not make sense and it appears something has happened at the club, rather than with Lodge," he added. "It looks like guilt money from the club and the integrity unit should be looking at it."
As a result of Lodge's departure, the Warriors have signed former State of Origin and Samoa forward Dunamis Lui until the end of the 2022 season.
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