Shock Lewis Dodd transfer details emerge including St Helens complaint over exit
Former South Sydney Rabbitohs half-back Lewis Dodd.
More details about Lewis Dodd’s $2million transfer to the NRL have emerged as speculation continues to linger over his long-term future: including how St Helens lodged letters of complaint to South Sydney over the deal.
Dodd made his first NRL start in the number seven shirt on Saturday evening for the Rabbitohs, after months of being sat on the sidelines and being confined to New South Wales Cup action.
And Code Sports have revealed in full the story of how Dodd would leave St Helens to join the NRL side – and how other NRL sides were pursuing him before he joined Souths.
Dodd had an exit clause in his St Helens contract which allowed him to walk away from the club at the end of the season to join an NRL club. He informed the Saints in April last year that he would be activating that clause – leaving the club ‘filthy’.
They subsequently sent complaints to Souths and tabled a new deal to Dodd in a bid to keep him in England – but he had already activated the clause and had made his mind up about a switch to Australia.
Three clubs were reportedly interested in his signature: Souths, the Dolphins and reigning NRL premiers Penrith Panthers. But Souths were always at the front of the queue after their recruitment manager, Mark Ellison, flew to England to sit down with Dodd and his family.
Perhaps most intriguingly, Dodd had never had a single conversation with the then Souths coach Jason Demetriou about the move, with the deal being done behind his back. He also never spoke to Bennett, who had been confirmed as the incoming coach.
But Souths officials had already tied Dodd down to a lucrative three-year deal worth $2million after Ellison convinced the half-back the Rabbitohs were the right club for him.
Fast forward a year, and Dodd is facing an uncertain future at South Sydney just one year into that three-year deal.
He has been subject to interest from clubs in Super League but he would have to take a significant pay cut in order for a deal to happen.
