When asked about Todd Carney, a wry smile etched upon Michael Dobson’s face.
After all, Carney’s arrival at Salford is a reunion almost 10 years in the making for the two halfbacks.
The pair terrorised defences together as teenagers as part of the Canberra Raiders academy setup before eventually moving on to different challenges.
Dobson made the move to Super League, originally with Catalans before joining Wigan Warriors permanently in 2006. By the time he returned to the Raiders in 2007, Carney was hot property Down Under, but off-field incidents resulted in Carney ultimately departing the Raiders a year later, and the pair didn’t get to take the NRL by storm.
The two haven’t crossed paths since, until it was confirmed that Carney would reunite with his old partner in crime at the Red Devils.
Dobson, who knows more than most about Carney’s on and off-field actions, believes he will have a huge impact on the club.
“He’ll be good for us,” Dobson said.
“I played with him in the juniors so I know a fair bit about him and he’ll be a good addition. I’m looking forward to having him here.
“Pretty much from 16 to 21 we played five years together. I know him quite well and he’ll fit into the group. We worked well together. I’m not sure in terms of where he’s going to play, we’ll see what happens.
“He’s played at the highest level with Australia and New South Wales, so obviously he’s going to be good for us. It puts some pressure on us and it’s up to the coach where he plays. But it’s a good move, he’s a good signing and he’ll add to the squad.”
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