Dodd insists he’s at Souths to stay after Bennett swipe
Jasper Bruce |
Lewis Dodd insists his future is at South Sydney despite Wayne Bennett stopping short of guaranteeing the beleaguered Englishman will see out the remainder of his three-year deal.
Jack Wighton’s four-game suspension has meant Dodd will partner halfback Jamie Humphreys against Brisbane for only his third start since being brought to the last-placed Rabbitohs on big money this year.
Bennett signed his own Souths deal after Dodd’s was confirmed, and the coach has preferred Wighton, Humphreys, Cody Walker, Jayden Sullivan, Latrell Mitchell and Jye Gray as starting halves options throughout a season of injury carnage at Redfern.
Asked on Thursday if Dodd would see out his deal, reportedly worth $2 million across three seasons, Bennett was unsure.
“That’s a good question. I can’t answer that for you right now,” the coach said.
“Lewis has got an opportunity tomorrow night to play again and show us what he can do and what he can’t do. Let’s wait and see how that goes.
“We’ll all have a better opinion each time (Dodd) plays, we’ll see where it finishes in the next four or five weeks.”
Dodd was unfazed by Bennett’s typically cryptic comments.
“Wayne likes playing tricks with people, you know what he’s like. I can’t say a bad word about anything. I’m here for three years,” the former St Helens star said.
“That’s the plan. I’ve done it this year, and got a bit of a chance now. We’ll see where that will take me to the off-season and start of next (season).”
Dodd had a solid game playing halfback in last week’s tight loss to seventh-placed Cronulla, notably making a try-saving tackle on Nicho Hynes.
He may now be in for an extended stay in the halves given Wighton will only return for the final game of the year and Walker’s return date from a hamstring issue still unclear.
“It’s sort of be careful what you wish for, in a way, you say you want the chance, but if I don’t take it, then that’s my fault,” Dodd said.
“I’ve done everything I can to be at a level where I think I can do what’s right for the team and do my job in the team and not let anyone down.
“That started last week and hopefully that will continue to the end of the year. It’s not coming the way that I wanted to, with Jack being suspended. He’s one of the superstars you want to be out there with, but that’s part of the game sometimes.”
Bennett was frustrated to lose Wighton after he failed to have his grade-two charge overturned at the judiciary on Tuesday night.
Souths’ legal counsel had insisted Sharks prop Toby Rudolf suffered a concussion because of a head clash, rather than from illegal shoulder contact.
“In my mind, it still isn’t a shoulder charge,” Bennett said.
Wighton’s absence is another blow to Bennetts’ hopes of avoiding the first wooden spoon of his premiership coaching career, though he did claim the award during his tenure in the Brisbane Rugby League before that.
Bennett was not bothered by that prospect, and similarly unperturbed that a loss to the Broncos would mean his first nine-game losing streak in 38 seasons.
“What’s worrying going to do? It’s like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do and takes you nowhere,” he said.
AAP
