Knights boss Phil Gardner says Matt Lodge has paid a price for his chequered past

And it appears Lodge's likely mid-season change of clubs could potentially be finalised within the next week with suggestions north of the border the Knights are in the box-seat to snare the controversial forward.

It will all hinge on how much of Lodge's $800,000-a-season contract the Broncos are willing to pay with the Knights understood to be playing hardball over the terms of the release.

He is contracted to Brisbane next season and has options in his favour for a further two years.

Late yesterday, Gardner stressed Lodge is still currently contracted to the Broncos and there is no deal in place yet for him to link with the Knights.

"He is a Broncos player and that's where it's at right now," the Knights boss told the Newcastle Herald. "The reality is it's only speculation until such time as there is an agreement in place and a contract signed by the player.

"At this stage, there is no contract but that doesn't mean there won't be this week, next week or sometime in the future or it may not happen. That's the game we are in - things move fast. If anything changes, we'll let everyone know."

Gardner did confirm he expects North Queensland halfback Jake Clifford to be in Knights colours by this weekend after he plays a final game for the Cowboys against the Warriors on Friday night in Townsville.

"We expect Clifford to be here playing for us against Parramatta on Sunday week," he said.

"But again, it hasn't been signed off officially.

"What we have is a nodding agreement that it's going to happen.

"We are expecting Clifford here on Saturday, subject to him getting through Friday night unscathed against the Warriors."

While the Knights had left one roster position in their top 30 squad open in the hope of bringing Clifford in early this season, the expectation was they would need to move a player to also accommodate Lodge.

That will no longer be an issue following veteran playmaker Blake Green's decision to retire from rugby league immediately.

But the club is still going to have to placate a section of the fan base who are angry at the possible signing of a player convicted of serious assault in a New York apartment building back in 2015.

Asked about the prospect of a fan backlash if Lodge also becomes a Knight, Gardner said: "Anyone who is a registered player with another club who comes on the market and is available and would improve our club, we would consider them.

"That consideration then goes around a whole range of other things of which character is a big part of it.

"We would need to ensure we are comfortable with their character and if they have transgressed in the past, we would need to be sure they have got past that and have paid their price and they've moved on.

"We obviously have to deal with whatever baggage or connotations come with that so it's certainly something that is considered before we sign a player of that nature.

"In Lodge's case, he hasn't put a foot wrong since 2018 [when signed by Brisbane]. He had a chequered history up until then.

"But to think that people don't deserve employment because of what happened years ago for which they have already paid a price for - that would be hard for us to understand."

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