LEWIS DODD appears certain to soon leave South Sydney Rabbitohs after coach Wayne Bennett publicly questioned the Englishman’s ability.
The 23-year-old halfback has struggled to make an impression with the NRL club since signing from St Helens on a three-year deal with a rumored AU$700,000 (£340,000) salary.
He has made only six first-team appearances, three of them starts, and has been dropped from the struggling side for Sunday’s game against Gold Coast Titans.
In his pre-match press conference, Bennett was asked whether Dodd has been taken out of the team because of his form and replied: “It might not even be his form, it might be his ability. You work it out.
“He’s in a tough place. The harshest thing that can happen to a player is to be told you’re not in first grade, when you think you should be a first-grader. I won’t add to it. People can work it out for themselves.”
At the start of the season, Jamie Humphreys was ahead of Dodd in the pecking order, with Jack Wighton also being preferred by Bennett to lead the Rabbitohs around the field.
Bennett has reportedly told Dodd he is free to leave the club, although only a week earlier the Widnes-born player insisted he wanted to see out his contract and earn a place in the team.
“I’m here for three years, and that’s the plan,” Dodd told The Sydney Morning Herald.
“It’s not nice seeing your name all the time in the media, and for your family as well, but it’s part of the game.”