Lewis Dodd labelled ‘$2million mistake’ as Super League interest revealed

South Sydney Rabbitohs half-back Lewis Dodd has been handed his first NRL start this weekend – but it has not stopped further criticism of the club’s decision to sign him.

Dodd will be brought into Wayne Bennett’s starting 13 for the first time as the Rabbitohs’ injury crisis mounts. They are looking all-but certain to be missing out on the play-offs at the end of this season and are currently just one win clear of the bottom of the ladder.

And Souths’ decision to bring Dodd over on a three-year deal has been put under the microscope again on NRL 360.

Host Braith Anasta raised the question of whether Dodd would be at Souths next year, given how he still had two more years left and was believed to be earning $700,000 – around £340,000.

Leading journalist Andrew Webster called the decision to sign him ‘bizarre’ before dubbing Dodd a ‘$2million mistake’.

“It is one of the more bizarre recruitments, really,” Webster said. “I’ve heard from people both in the UK and other recruiters here the NRL that they were surprised that Souths signed him and threw that amount of money at him.

“Look, it’s a $2 million mistake.”

Webster then revealed that he had been told Super League clubs were weighing up a possible move for Dodd in 2026, with Souths increasingly likely to try and move the half-back on.

But the former St Helens man would have to take a serious pay-cut to move back to Super League.

“I’ve heard of other Super League clubs being interested in getting him but they want to be offering some pretty heavy coin for Lewis Dodd to want to move away from the $700,000 a year contract he’s on.”

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