South Sydney’s halfback recruit Lewis Dodd hit with suspension for high tackle in pre-season match

Lewis Dodd’s NRL initiation has gone from bad to worse with the South Sydney recruit hit with a ban set to rub him out of the club’s season opener.

Lewis Dodd’s NRL initiation has gone from bad to worse with the new South Sydney recruit hit with a ban set to rub him out of the Rabbitohs’ season opener.

The English halfback has been whacked with a one-week ban, with an early plea, for a high shot on St George Illawarra winger Sione Finau in Saturday’s 46-26 trial loss.

Dodd will have to fight the grade two careless high tackle charge at the judiciary and win if he is to be available for round 1.

If he challenges the charge at the judiciary and loses, the No.7 will be handed a two-week ban.

Lewis Dodd has had a tough initiation to NRL football. Picture: NRL Photos

Dodd, who arrived from St Helens, has struggled to make an impact in the two trial matches he has played for the Rabbitohs raising concerns that the big money recruit, who is on around $700,000 per season, is not the answer for coach Wayne Bennett in the halves.

Dodd was sent to the sin bin retrospectively under the NRL’s experimental sin bin rule – where a player can be marched if an illegal tackle results in an opposition player subsequently failing a head injury assessment.

He was replaced in the halves by fellow new recruit Jamie Humphreys, who helped ignite the Rabbitohs’ attack in the second half.

Humphreys not only scored a try but set-up two others in a showing that had catapulted him into the favourite for the no.7 jumper against the Dolphins regardless of Dodd’s suspension.

Canterbury also look set to lose forward Josh Curran after he was hit with a grade two careless high tackle for a shot on Brisbane backrower Jack Gosiewski.

Curran will miss the season opener against St George Illawarra with an early plea, unless he can prove his innocence at the judiciary.

Originally published as South Sydney’s halfback recruit Lewis Dodd hit with suspension for high tackle in pre-season match