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Hodgson to farewell his beloved home turf

9/07/2008 1:00:00 AM
Wests Tigers skipper Brett Hodgson is preparing to farewell the place where it all began in Monday night's NRL match at Campbelltown Stadium.

The 30-year-old veteran, who is joining English club Huddersfield at the end of the season, will play his final match at the venue where he made his first-grade debut more than 11 years ago.

The Tigers' remaining home games will be played at either ANZ Stadium or Leichhardt Oval, meaning Hodgson must make an early farewell to the home ground of his first club, Western Suburbs.

''I love the place, it's where I grew up,'' Liverpool-born Hodgson said of Campbelltown Stadium, where he made his first-grade debut as a 19-year-old in 1997.

''As a kid I always wanted to play there in the finals and things like that.

''Even when I was younger, in under-11s and 12s, we played our grand finals there so it's always held something special for me, that ground.

''On top of that I debuted there and started off at Wests Magpies there so it's definitely a place I love.''

A self-confessed victim of the salary cap, Hodgson realised there was no room for him at the club in 2009 and a lack of interest from rival clubs meant he had little choice but to finish his career overseas.

Hodgson predicted the fact that his days in the NRL were numbered would hit home in Monday night's match.

''It's going to be a little bit sad, there's no doubt about that, although I don't think there'll be any tears or anything of that nature,'' Hodgson, who played four seasons with Parramatta before joining the merged Wests Tigers, said.

''It gets a little bit sadder the more you get to knowing and realising that it is my last year in the NRL.''

The Tigers will go into the match without halfback Mathew Head, who is battling both a recurrence of a shoulder injury and a thumb problem.

Tigers coach Tim Sheens said yesterday Head would be replaced by John Morris, who started the season at halfback.

''John's done the job there. Earlier in the year we won our first two games with him at seven,'' Sheens said.

The 10th-placed Tigers had hoped to get prop Todd Payten back for the match. But he has suffered another setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury.

They will, however, welcome back Keith Galloway from a foot injury.

The Storm, meanwhile, will be close to full strength with Michael Crocker returning after missing Sunday's win over the Raiders due to concussion. AAP

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