Leeds Rhinos sign NRL prop Matt Lodge on short-term deal
Leeds Rhinos have signed Australian prop Matt Lodge on an eight-week short-term deal, bringing the 31-year-old straight into their squad for the remainder of the 2026 Betfred Super League season.
Lodge arrives from North Queensland Cowboys, who released him on 13 August to allow the move to England. He made 15 NRL appearances for the Cowboys this season before his release, according to BBC Sport. Leeds confirmed the signing the previous day on their official club website, with the deal taking effect immediately.
A prop forward — the big, ball-carrying engine-room player in rugby league's 13-man setup — Lodge brings NRL pedigree at a point in the season where injuries and fatigue often stretch squads thin. The Super League, England's top-flight rugby league competition, runs through autumn, and short-term signings like this are a common way for clubs to plug gaps in their forward pack.
Lodge himself was predictably forthright about what he would bring. Speaking to the Yorkshire Evening Post, he said he would "get out there and go hard." In a separate statement on the Leeds Rhinos website, he added that he could not wait to "rip in and do whatever the team needs from me."
For Leeds, the logic is straightforward. A player with 15 NRL appearances this season is match-fit and available now, rather than arriving cold in the off-season. The eight-week window covers the business end of the Super League campaign, when points are at their most valuable and rosters are often at their most depleted.
Lodge was expected to arrive in the UK at the start of the week following the announcement, subject to visa approval. That administrative hurdle is standard for overseas signings in British rugby league, though it can delay a player's debut by days or sometimes weeks depending on processing times.
The signing adds a layer of intrigue for Leeds fans, who will be keen to see how quickly an NRL-hardened forward adapts to the rhythms of the Super League — where the tackle count, referee interpretations and the sheer pace of the English game can take adjusting to. Lodge's willingness to "do whatever the team needs" suggests he is not arriving with a fixed idea of his role, which should help head coach Brad Arthur deploy him flexibly off the bench or in the starting 13.
Whether Lodge makes an immediate impact or needs time to settle, Leeds have added genuine size and experience for the season's final stretch. The Rhinos' push continues, now with a little more firepower up front.
