BY LORRAINE MARSDEN
ST HELENS coach Paul Wellens has said there is still a future for Lewis Dodd at the club this season, despite the halfback being dropped for Friday’s derby against Wigan.
Wellens selected rookie Harry Robertson to make his debut at fullback, moving Jack Welsby to pair Jonny Lomax in the halves.
But the coach insists that South Sydney Rabbitohs-bound Dodd is doing all he can regain his form and get himself back into the side.
“Lewis missed out (against Wigan) but I don’t think any less of him as a player,” said Wellens.
“He hasn’t not played tonight because he’s going to Australia at the end of the year; there are just a couple areas of his game that we feel he can improve on.
“He’s prepared to do that, and if he does it, there is an avenue back into the team for him.
“Naturally he was disappointed to miss out, and in a big game like this, but he’s also taken it really well in terms of he went out onto the training field and did exactly what was asked of him.
“I would be more worried if I didn’t pick a player like Lewis and he wasn’t disappointed, then we’d have a problem. But the fact he was so disappointed, I like it.
“He was at seven in the team that was playing against us in our preparations and he was really challenging us and asking questions of us. So in that way he has responded in the right manner and I am really proud of him for that.”
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