OUTSPOKEN netball legend Liz Ellis has renewed her call to throw Matt Lodge out of the NRL after the Broncos prop’s ex-girlfriend went public with horrific allegations of abuse during their relationship.
Charlene Saliba chose to speak to The Sunday Telegraph after watching Lodge’s first and only interview on Fox League since having an NRL contract registered with the Broncos.
Ms Saliba said she was in a relationship with Lodge for two years from 2013, and claims he was abusive and she was “living in fear”, detailing a range of horrifying allegations that have never made it to a courtroom.
Speaking on Channel Nine’s Sports Sunday in response to the report, Ellis said the NRL must reconsider its mdecision to allow Lodge back in the game.
“I don’t think the NRL can countenance having Matt Lodge in the NRL,” Ellis said.
“These allegations are truly horrifying. To see a young woman going through what his ex has gone through, he pleaded guilty to common assault, a horrific assault — put aside the additional allegations, that assault was horrific.
“And the facts that have been proven in court are horrific as well.
“You can have ads, you can have women’s round in rugby league all you like, but if you’re not prepared to take action against someone, for all intents and purposes an incredibly good footballer, and say ‘sorry mate, you just don’t have a career here’, then all of those ads and the women’s round mean nothing.”
Ellis was backed by former Australia cricket captain Mark Taylor who said the elite sporting bodies in Australia should come together with a uniform policy to stamp out domestic violence.
“I’d like to see all the sports get together on this,” Taylor said.
“I think it’s very tough for the executives of the NRL to say OK, we’re going to be the ones to lead the way and rule him out, I agree with you Liz, absolutely those allegations are horrific and he’s pleaded guilty to one of them.
“I’d like to see the NRL, with the ARU, with Cricket Australia say ‘if this happens, that person is not available to play’ and come up with X amount of time.
“Take it out of the coaches’ and the selectors’ hands.”