Broncos veteran Darius Boyd has given his blessing for Matt Lodge to become the next skipper of the NRL club, saying the former bad boy’s past shouldn’t be held against him.
Boyd is almost certain to be stripped of the captaincy after a poor season that culminated in the team’s 58-0 elimination final loss to the Eels.
The prospect of Lodge becoming captain has shocked some critics.
Lodge was arrested at gunpoint in New York in 2015 after terrorising a young family during a traumatic home invasion.
The 24-year-old avoided a jail sentence, and was instead ordered to complete 200 hours of community service in Australia, receive alcohol abuse and anger treatment, abstain from alcohol and illegal drugs, and submit to testing.
The Broncos are strongly considering appointing Lodge as skipper in time for next season, and the move has Boyd’s blessing.
“If you’re purely picking it on who is the best person for the job, then Matt Lodge does tick a lot of boxes,” Boyd said.
“There’s been criticism around that, but at the end of the day it’s about what’s best for the club and what’s going to lead them forward.
“It’s sad to see that people want to come out and say things about reputations and other things, because at the end of the day people make mistakes. No one’s perfect.
“But he’s a great guy Matt Lodge. He’s done some good things to turn his life around. The Broncos have been a big part of that, but he’s had to buy into that as well.”
Boyd said Lodge had matured greatly in recent years and possessed the traits of a leader.
“He’s changed his life around in a lot of ways. He’s a family man now – he’s got a little boy at home,” Boyd said.
“He’s just a humble guy. He works hard in the training facility, he wants to get better, he’s out in the community doing things – at hospitals or helping kids play football.
“We all have a past. But at the same time you don’t want to chuck these people out and just kick them to the kerb. Everyone needs a second chance, everyone makes mistakes.
“He’s been to rehab, he’s done a lot of things to work on himself to get himself to the position he’s in, and I don’t think you can hold someone’s past over their head forever.”
Boyd has two years remaining on his contract, but says he will assess his future on a year-by-year basis.
The 32-year-old says it wouldn’t worry him if he loses the captaincy.
“At the end of the day it doesn’t really matter whether there’s a ‘C’ on your name or not, I’ll still be a leader in some regards,” he said.