Hodgson sets record straight on new contract and explains why he refused to be medically retired
Josh Hodgson has set the record straight on his new contract and admits he understands people questioning the Eels signing him.
Hodgson’s 138-game career with the Raiders came to an end in Round 1 when he suffered his third ACL tear in five years.
Parramatta had already signed the 32-year-old to replace Reed Mahoney from next season and Hodgson confirmed he’ll at the club until the end of 2024, despite reports this week saying otherwise.
The SMH claimed the Eels had an option in their favour which would allow them cut ties with Hodgson after 12 months.
“There is an option in both favours so I have got two years, there is a player option and a club option in that one, so I am there for two years just to clear that one up,” Hodgson said on the Fox League podcast.
“I heard about the story, but there's an option in my favour and in the club’s favour which is obviously different in salaries, that’s why it is negotiated like that but there is an option in both favours so it will be a two-year deal.”
Hodgson, who captained Canberra in the 2019 grand final, revealed he could have medically retired after his third knee reconstruction.
But the Englishman is determined to win that elusive premiership before he hangs up the boots.
“I am 32 I have just done my third knee, I could have medically retired if I’d have wanted to, I don’t need to be going again if I didn’t want to,” Hodgson said.
“But it’s that burning desire and the want to win, the want to try and win a premiership is why I will always want to go again.
“I am not stupid, I know the way I’d think about someone who is 32, after he had done a third knee, going to a new club, probably if I am at that club and I don’t really know me, I am probably thinking why are we signing him at 32 and letting someone go.
“I understand people thinking that way, but when people think that way it just makes me work even harder.
“It makes me want to go even harder into my training and want to prove people wrong even more so.
“That’s what I kind of thrive off, I have got the love of the game, I do genuinely love it as much as I did when I was a kid and If I didn’t have that then I probably would retire.
“I actually love what I do, I never see it as a job I see it as a lifestyle, you have got to live it but to me it is a paid hobby, I go to training every day and at the end of the day I want to win.
“I want to win a comp and I still have that burning desire to win it and I will never retire unless I have given absolutely everything into trying to do that.
“They (Parramatta) are a good team and I am sure I can add a lot there which is why I went there.
“I have a lot of pride about myself, if I didn’t think I could do it, I wouldn’t be trying to but for me I have a good few years in me yet.”
Replies
Doesn't give us too much confidence to be fair ahaha. I mean what is Hodgson going to say "They are trying to medically retire me but i do not want to" etc.? Good on him for being fair in his comments thought, he spoke really well.
Granted the fact he is even discussing it is different, but Parramatta surely are a little concerned, even if it is slightly, that his recent ACL injury is an issue moving forward.
I don’t understand the footy world signings, so far off, why we can’t back out if in fact we aren’t getting what we thought either and I realise that opens a can of worms but this is a major injury to an ‘aged’ player and sounds bit like the club possibly getting nervy about it. He wouldn’t have been cheap. Raiders haven’t got too many fit games out of him really either.
maybe we would have a chance to keep reed but for the busted Hodgson signing done deal.
Well Macy i think the NRL would be like you risk injury to any player that you are signing. Like buying a 15 year old car, despite the type of car it is any 15 year old car can have issues at anytime, you buy Josh Hodgson or Reece Walsh, both those players can tear their ACL during the year, one is 32 the other is 20. So we can only back out by medically retiring JH.
In terms of Mahoney, well that is the only way i can see us wanting to get out of JH deal, if in a different world Reed got out of Bulldogs and was available and we were interested then we might try to retire JH. But at the moment i think we are content with JH, with sites on Matt Arthur coming along after that, are we concerned? possibly but i think it is more of a "well there is nobody else we can get, he is better than nothing atm". If an opportunity arises like Verrills or Mahoney we might entertain it.
But i think the club is very much on a let's hope and pray he comes back good for 2023 at least, then Matt Arthur could be fast-tracked for 2024 at 19.
Yeahbut it sounds like the club have had second thoughts rightly so too. Was wondering who his PM is it’s a good deal for this bloke he is beaten up really... just saw that it’s Isaac Moses and saw that he JH has just been installed on the RLP board! There goes backing out of this deal, his words above just don’t convince me tho I think it’s purely about the loss of dosh
when a player is med retired how long to they get paid for ie does it include the full CO contract and what pay rate I wonder? And for how long do you know?
just can’t believe we let a young almost there hooker go ...I’ll never understand it
Can someone please explain what a PO & CO in the final year "with different salaries" works? It' all sounds very "Trans"
Who is coming up with these awful clauses ? When will the club learn? Piss the PO off.
Yeah Bert it was confusing to me, as if it is a PO & CO in final year than it is a mutual option, from what i have gathered in mutual options is that both parties need to agree for the deal to continue, so if JH says yes but the club say no or vice-versa, 2024 is null and void.
The he worded im thinking is it an option in his favour for 2023 and CO for 2024? doubt it but different salaries also as again PO & CO would be a Mutual option, so unless both agree it is only 2023 guarenteed.
Very confusing, hopefully somebody can explain.
No idea Bert... earlier reports were we had the club option for year 2 so in reality a 1 year fixed contract and up to us whether we keep him for year 2. This now sounds different - like both have an option. Maybe JH has an option for year 2 but if he exercises that, then we have an option on the salary i.e. we can drop it or something? Sounds messy.
If that is the case Will then wow that is different and is a good and bad idea. Good for us but if JH plays ok but gets hurt again or anything like that, we want to lower his salary he could lose the plot. Then again, he agreed to the deal so it is on him.
This would be my guess Bert:
Let's say he is on 400k for 2023. There could be a player option for 300k in 2024 and a club option for 500k in 2024. So if he plays well and the club want to keep him, they have to pay extra. If the club don't want him, they may get stuck with him, but only for 300k.
Which isn't too bad, but man even if he plays lights out you say no regardless if he takes it up. Though the way around it is that he could say no too and he's gone after a great year, so not bad i guess as if he has a good 2023 he deserves the cash for 2024 but he will be 34.
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