Justin Hodges
Personal information
Nickname	Hodgo[1]
Born	25 May 1982 (1982-05-25) (age 27)
	Cairns, Queensland, Australia
Height	190 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Weight	97 kg (15 st 4 lb)
Playing information
Position	Centre, Fullback
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2000–01	Brisbane Broncos	17	6	0	0	24
2002–04	Sydney Roosters	58	26	0	0	104
2005–	Brisbane Broncos	75	40	1	0	162
	Total	150	72	1	0	290
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2002–09	Queensland	12	3	0	0	12
2006–09	Australia	7	3	0	0	12
Source: Rugby League Project

Justin Hodges (born 25 May 1982 in Cairns, Queensland) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Brisbane Broncos of the National Rugby League. He also plays representative football for the Queensland Maroons and Australian Kangaroos teams. Hodges' usual position is in the centres and he has won premierships with both the Broncos and previously with the Sydney Roosters.

[edit] Brisbane Broncos

Hodges commenced his NRL career with the Brisbane Broncos.

[edit] 2000

Hodges made his first grade debut for the Brisbane Broncos against the Canberra Raiders. In his debut, Hodges played exceptionally well, saving two tries in a losing Broncos team.^[2] Hodges only played 5 games for the Broncos in his debut season.^[3]

[edit] 2001

Hodges was promoted to the full-time NRL team for the Broncos in 2001, however only played in 12 games for the club. ^[3] The Broncos failed to re-sign Hodges before the 30 June tampering date, which was to prevent other clubs taking players from other clubs. Justin then signed a three-year deal with the Sydney Roosters. Feeling betrayed by his defection,^[5] Broncos coach Wayne Bennett told Hodges that his services were no longer required and pushed him back to the Broncos' feeder club, the Toowoomba Clydesdales.^[4]

[edit] Sydney Roosters

[edit] 2002

Hodges joined the Sydney Roosters in 2002.

In 2002, Hodges signed with the Sydney Roosters. He played in the 2002 Grand Final against the New Zealand Warriors, which the Roosters won. During his stint at the Roosters, Hodges made headlines for all the wrong reasons, which included a disastrous State of Origin debut were he threw two in goal passes which turned into tries for the opposing team (although Queensland won that match)^[6], and being punched by then Bronco Casey McGuire in a preliminary final against his current club ^[7].

Hodges is a Queensland state representative player

[edit] 2003

Hodges played in the first ten games for the Roosters scoring eight tries, but injury ruled him out of the entire season after that.^[3]

In the second Origin game, Hodges suffered a serious knee injury. Hodges damaged the cruciate ligament in his left knee early in the second half of the match. The game was played at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium and Hodges considered legal action against the stadium for the poor state in which the surface was in. However, Hodges decided not to take legal action against Suncorp Stadium.^[8]

[edit] 2004

In early 2004, Hodges broke up with his long-time girlfriend and was given two weeks sympathy leave from the Roosters.^[9] He caused further disrupt to the Roosters when he missed a training session and club functions to spend time with his friends and family. Subsequently, coach Ricky Stuart put Hodges into the lower grade premier league.^[10][11] Hodges however, made it back into the first grade Roosters team.

In mid 2004, Hodges went to Brisbane to talk to Brisbane coach Wayne Bennett to seek a return to the Broncos. This was approved by Roosters boss Brian Canavan, but Roosters coach Stuart did not know that Hodges wanted a release from the club.^[11] After several off field incidents, Hodges was expected to leave the Roosters mid season and go to the Broncos, but the Broncos did not want this.^[10] At the end of the season the roosters and Hodges played in the grand final which was lost to the Bulldogs.^[12]

[edit] Return to the Broncos

[edit] 2005

Hodges returned to the Brisbane Broncos.

After the feud between coach Bennett and Hodges earlier in 2001, some critics felt that Hodges wouldn't be able to fit well into the Broncos team. But during an off season camp, Hodges and Bennett sorted things out and all Hodges wanted to do was play rugby league. Hodges stated that he didn't regret going to Sydney, but felt it was time to go home back to Brisbane.^[13] Former Brisbane Broncos captain Gorden Tallis backed Hodges return to the Broncos, despite some fans questioning the merits in which Hodges returned.^[14]

With Hodges returning, it caused a problem for the Broncos. They had three centres in which only two could play there. Hodges, Shaun Berrigan and Brent Tate all were contenders for the two centre positions.^[15] For the early rounds of 2005, Hodges was forced to play on the wing, with Tate and Berrigan the centres.^[16] When Brent Tate suffered a shoulder injury, Hodges was able to play in his preferred position of centre.^[17]

Hodges had cruciate ligament damage in his right knee, and missed two weeks as a result, but returned for the Broncos final match. The Broncos were knocked out of the finals, after losing seven straight matches.^[16][18]

[edit] 2006

In 2006 Hodges started the season playing in the centre position and continued to play there for the first 10 rounds of the competition. However injury plagued him over the next 10 rounds, only playing one game for the Broncos in those rounds.^[16] Despite this, Hodges was selected to play for Queensland in the first two State of Origin matches, and in the second game when he intercepted a NSW pass and ran 85 metres to score a try.^[19]

However, injury sidelined him for over 3 weeks including the 3rd State of Origin match, before he made his return against the North Queensland Cowboys, a game that the Broncos lost 26-10.^[20] The Bronco's form continued to slide, until coach Wayne Bennett moved Hodges from the centres to fullback, in place of injured team mate Karmichael Hunt. The team cast off their slump and made it into the 2006 Grand Final, Hodges' fourth in five seasons. Facing minor premiers Melbourne Storm, in the 20th minute, Hodges, off the back of a skillful Lockyer inside pass, scored a try and Brisbane went on to win the grand final 15-8.^[21]

Hodges is an Australian representative player

At the end of 2006, Hodges went on to play for Australia in the Tri-Nations Series, He scored one try against Great Britain and played in the final match against New Zealand, which Australia won.^[16][22]

[edit] 2007

Due to Broncos winning the grand final, Hodges, along with the Broncos team, travelled to England to play the World Club Challenge. Hodges played in the centres for the trial match against the Celtic Crusaders, which they won 32-6. Hodges scored an intercept try just before halftime, in the trial match.^[23] In the actual World Club Challenge, against St Helens RLFC, the Broncos lost the game 18-14.^[24]

With Karmichael Hunt playing in the halves, Hodges was moved to fullback for the first two rounds of the 2007 NRL premiership. When Hunt was showing poor form in the halves he was moved back to fullback, and Hodges was forced back into the centres for Round 3. In that round, Hodges equalled the Broncos' club record of four tries in a match.^[16]

Hodges was again selected for the ANZAC Test, and played in the centres. He also played in all three games for Queensland in the 2007 State of Origin series. Hodges scored one try in the third game and Queensland won the series 2-1.^[16] Despite being sidelined for several weeks due to a knee injury, Hodges finished the season as the Broncos' top try-scorer.

[edit] 2008

In August 2008, Hodges was named in the preliminary 46-man Kangaroos squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup,^[25][26] and in October 2008 he was selected in the final 24-man Australia squad.^[27]

On 14 October. Hodges was ruled out of the World Cup after finding he needed shoulder surgery and faces up to six months in recovery.

Hodges showed his true toughness in Round 26 against the Newcastle Knights by taking to the field despite having a severe eye infection and an undisclosed illness.

[edit] 2009

He was selected for Australia in the one-off test match against New Zealand on 8 May 2009.^[28]

In April 2009, he was named in the preliminary 25 man squad to represent Queensland in the opening State of Origin match for 2009,^[29] and was subsequently picked at centre for the opening State of Origin match.^[30] He injured his leg during the first half, and whilst on the sideline for the remainder of the match, New South Wales scored all their tries, which Phil Gould later referred to as "no coincidence". In game 3 he was heavily involved in an altercation with several other QLD and NSW players only 2 minutes before full time. TV broadcasts clearly show Hodges 'egging' NSW players on to fight, following an incident between Steve Price and Brett White (and later Trent Waterhouse and Justin Poore). He later told reporters that he believed what did Justin Poore did (lifting an unconscious Price up off the ground) as a "dog act".

At the end of the 2009 NRL season Hodges travelled to England as part of Australia's squad for the 2009 Four Nations tournament.

[edit] Honours

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Justin Hodges at the Brisbane Broncos official website.
• Justin Hodges at the State of Origin official website.
• Justin Hodges at the Former Origin Greats website.