Wayne Bennett’s alpha move to new Rabbitohs recruit is pure savagery
Wayne Bennett has produced a masterclass in savagery, bringing South Sydney’s star signing down to earth with a classic alpha move.
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Wayne Bennett might not be super keen to start Lewis Dodd in the halves in Round 1 judging by his first interaction with South Sydney’s new recruit.
The veteran coach, 74, is returning to the Bunnies after he led them to the 2021 Grand Final before taking charge of the Dolphins for the expansion side’s first two seasons in the NRL.
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South Sydney will be desperate to improve after missing finals two seasons in a row, but their roster hasn’t been what is was when Bennett was last in charge at the Bunnies.
The Bunnies returned to pre-season training and a clip released by the Rabbitohs on their own social media pages elicited some chuckles from the rugby league world.
Dodd, English halfback recruited by the club last year, is lying on the massage table in the video when Bennett walks up to him and asks him: “How are ya? What’s your name?”
Dodd replied: “Lewis.”
Bennett: “Lewis who?”
Dodd replied: “Dodd.”
Bennett quipped with a smile: “Oh you’re the Pommy....Nice to meet you.”
Cue fits of giggles from the Souths players as they warmed up for training, as rugby league pundits wondered if it was a deliberate ploy from Bennett to bring Dodd down to earth.
Watch the Wayne Bennett Lewis Dodd exchange in the video above
Rugby league reporter Michael Chammas said on the Footy Talk podcast: “He made him look like an absolute goose.
“The video they put up...that is a message if I’ve ever seen it. It’s like, ‘Mate, you’re coming here as the superstar Super League signing, but we’re all starting on the same page’.
“Wayne would have looked at what the video team put together and he would have thought, ‘Yeah, let’s do that.”
Nine’s Danny Weidler added: “He’s his halfback!”
The Rabbitohs signed Dodd, 22, on a three-year deal reportedly worth around $600,000 a season.
Young halfback Lachlan Ilias broke his leg playing reserve grade in April, the Rabbitohs were desperate to recruit a replacement playmaker and settled on Dodd, who was playing for St Helens in the Super League.
The Rabbitohs sacked Jason Demetriou mid-season and signed Bennett as coach soon after on a three-year contract.
But the seven-time premiership winning coach said at the time he didn’t know anything about Dodd and wasn’t involved in recruiting the English half.
Ilias has since signed with St George Illawarra as the Dragons look to bolster their playmaking stocks following Ben Hunt’s departure to the Broncos.
South Sydney chief executive Blake Solly said at the time the club’s next coach had to be on-board with Dodd coming in for season 2025.
“It doesn’t apply to me because I don’t know anything about Dodd so how can I think anything about him? I’ve never met the guy, I’ve never seen him play,” Bennett said in May as his return to the Rabbitohs firmed up.
“I had nothing to do with it, it wasn’t my decision. I also heard the CEO say it was the retention committee’s decision, which included the head coach at the time which was Jason.
“I’ve got no problem with what they’ve done, but I know nothing about the player.”
Time will tell if Dodd will start at halfback for the season opener against the Dolphins, or if Bennett will favour a halves pairing of Cody Walker and Jack Wighton.
The Rabbitohs finished 12th on the ladder last season and will be hoping for an improved year in 2025.
Centre Campbell Graham is set to return from a broken sternum but captain Cameron Murray could miss a chunk of time at the start of the year with a nasty scapholunate (wrist) injury sustained in Kangaroos training camp for the Pacific Championships.
Originally published as Wayne Bennett’s alpha move to new Rabbitohs recruit is pure savagery
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