South Sydney halfback Lachlan Ilias offered positional switch under new coach Wayne Bennett

Lachlan Ilias was deemed surplus to requirements at South Sydney and headed for the exit door, but new coach Wayne Bennett has arrived with a new career plan for the young star.

Incoming South Sydney coach Wayne Bennett has told halfback Lachlan Ilias that he wants him at the club next season, but he could be in line for a positional change.

Ilias had been granted permission to explore the market in recent months but he now could remain at the Rabbitohs for the final year of his contract.

While Ilias will be given an opportunity to challenge Souths’ new recruit, English half Lewis Dodd, for the starting halfback spot, he is also expected to be given some time at dummy half during the pre-season.

South Sydney’s Lachlan Ilias. Picture: NRL Photos

Damien Cook’s departure to St George Illawarra will test South Sydney’s hooking stocks for next season. Peter Mamouzelos, who is signed until the end of 2027, will be given first crack at the No.9 jersey, but Ilias will compete with new recruit Jamie Humphreys for the back-up dummy half role.

It has been an emotion-charged year for Ilias, who has 53 NRL appearances since making his debut for the Rabbitohs in the final round of the 2021 season.

In August last year, then-coach Jason Demetriou declared Lachlan Ilias was “going to be the best halfback the club has had for a long time” as he was anointed the Rabbitohs’ long-term successor to Adam Reynolds.

He played in South Sydney’s opening two games of this season before he was axed to reserve grade after being made a scapegoat for the team’s winless start to the competition.

Then, in April, Ilias suffered a badly broken leg while playing in NSW Cup, which sidelined him for the remainder of the season and also hampered his ability to find a new club.

Incoming Souths halfback Lewis Dodd. Picture: Jess Hornby/Getty Images

It was expected that Ilias would leave South Sydney, with his agent, Braith Anasta, revealing earlier this year that “there has been a high level of interest from a number of clubs”. However, a move never eventuated.

But the 24-year-old has recovered well from his shocking leg injury, which required a 40cm metal rod to hold together his fractured right tibia bone, and he will join the Rabbitohs when pre-season training resumes.

Dodd, 22, will move to Australia once his commitments with UK Super League side St Helens are complete.

The young No.7 already has more than 70 top-flight appearances under his belt, and is set to be paired alongside Cody Walker in halves.

“Cody will be playing six,” Bennett said.

“He played a bit of seven this year but he had to play there to help them out.

“He did a good job at halfback, but I think he’s a better five-eighth.”

Dodd and Humphreys join the Dolphins’ Euan Aitken and former Manly prodigy Josh Schuster as new recruits for the 2025 season.

Originally published as South Sydney halfback Lachlan Ilias offered positional switch under new coach Wayne Bennett