WESTS Tigers captain Brett Hodgson has agreed to a 2 year deal with UK Super League team Huddersfield which will see the veteran custodian leave the NRL at the end of 2008.
In his 12th season of NRL football, Hodgson is the rock in the Wests Tigers unit and was a part of their 2005 premiership winning squad. A deceptive fullback, Hodgson a Wests junior spent time at the Parramatta Eels before returning to his roots to lead the Wests Tigers joint venture.
An asset to any club, Hodgson is as tough as he is talented and pound for pound, swings above many others in the current NRL crop.
“It’s a new frontier in my League career and in life too,†he said.
“It’s a shame to be walking away from Wests, this is where I’ve had great memories in the last 5 years or so.
“It’s sad and disappointing, but also a great chance for me and very enticing.â€
His current agreement was ending with the Tigers at the end of this year and Hodgson said the cap restrictions and little interest from other NRL clubs had made his choice easier in the end.
“The decision eventually came easy to me, because initially there wasn’t a lot of options,†he said.
Hodgson will link up with former team-mate and well known Australian prop John Skandalis at Huddersfield.
“It’s sad when you’ve got that 2005 squad going their separate ways,†Tigers coach Tim Sheens said.
Hodgson has played 212 first-grade games and six State Of Origin matches for NSW.