Matt Lodge has finally been locked into the Roosters' Top 30 squad for 2023.
The barnstorming front-rower has been forced to spend the off-season on a train and trial deal, with the Roosters unable to sign him within the remaining space on their salary cap due to uncertainty around its size.
It has followed a tense period of negotiations between the NRL and Rugby League Players' Association over the collective bargaining agreement, which will determine the future finances of the game.
It's believed an agreement - and with it the salary cap - have finally been agreed on, with only the final details remaining to be confirmed, meaning clubs now finally have a picture of the total salary cap for 2023 as Round 1 kicks off.
That also means the Roosters have finally been able to upgrade Lodge from his $1000 per week train and trial deal to a full-time deal for the 2023 season, with NRL.com reporting the news on Friday.
It's understood Lodge has signed a one-year deal with the Roosters, meaning he is free to negotiate and sign elsewhere for 2024 immediately, while the Roosters could look to tie him to a longer-term deal in Bondi.
Lodge was a strong performer for the Roosters during the second half of the 2022 season as the club worked their way into the finals before being bundled out in the elimination final of Week 1 by the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Despite that, Lodge's impact at both ends of the park was enough to suggest he will be an important figure for the Roosters in 2023 as the club replace Siosiua Taukeiaho and prepare for the exit of Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, which is tipped to occur at the end of this year when his current contract runs out.
