ST HELENS coach Paul Wellens believes Lewis Dodd is now playing with “a twinkle in his eye” after returning from a serious injury.
Dodd ruptured his Achilles tendon in Saints’ Good Friday win over Wigan Warriors in April and missed out on helping St Helens retain their Super League crown at Old Trafford.
After successful surgery, the 21-year-old returned to action on Friday evening in Mark Percival’s testimonial at the Totally Wicked Stadium against Widnes Vikings.
Dodd played the first 40 minutes and looked comfortable in the halves alongside Jonny Lomax and was rewarded with a try.
Wellens was delighted with what he offered and is happy to see him playing the game again with a smile on his face.
“I paid Doddy huge respect in the dressing room,” said Wellens.
“What a lot of people on the outside do not see is the lonely early mornings – week on week, month on month, when you are coming back from an injury like that. He has done it tough over recent months.
“Since he got back on the training field, you start to see that twinkle in his eye again, the spring in his step. He has slotted in – like we expected – quite seamlessly.
“Given his intelligence as a rugby player, we expected that, but it’s great to have him back out there and he certainly improves us as a team.”
A 26-player squad will travel to Australia tomorrow (Tuesday) as St Helens prepare for their World Club Challenge clash against NRL champions Penrith Panthers.
They will base themselves initially at the Sydney Academy of Sport and Recreation at Narrabeen in Sydney’s northern beaches, which is the training facility for the NRL’s Manly Sea Eagles.
Wellens believes Friday’s 16-12 win over Widnes was great preparation for his squad.
“I know from my playing days that pre-season friendlies are never the easiest games to play in, particularly for us, as we have that trip to Australia around the corner, which presents a different challenge. But the way the team approached the game was fantastic.
“We challenged them to play with a strong mindset on how they approached the game. By that, I mean not go and search for points and take silly risks where it is not necessary, play our game, build into it and take the opportunities when they present themselves.
“We didn’t expect or want perfection. We wanted them to have an application and work ethic – the foundations on which the club has built its success.”
