South Sydney Rabbitohs recruit Lewis Dodd ready for NRL roller coaster after meeting Wayne Bennett

It may not be the red and green carpet treatment, but Dodd can see the funny side.

“I’ve heard about him in the past, they told me a lot of stories about him and I knew he was coming,” Dodd said of the interaction that went viral during a Rabbitohs sponsorship announcement with Wahu on Maroubra Beach on Saturday.

“I was excited and nervous and thinking, ‘Oh, no, what’s going to happen here?’ And then, obviously, what happened happened.

“It was funny, I enjoyed it. It was one of those “Oh, I’m one of those players who has a Wayne Bennett story” moments… it was a good introduction to him.

Bennett may or may not know who Dodd is, but the impact he could potentially have on the NRL should not be underestimated. At just 22 years old, Dodd has already won the premiership for Super League side St Helens, represented his country and caught the attention of Australian aficionados when he scored the match-winning goal in extra time during the World Club Challenge 2023 clash against local champions Penrith.

However, the big unknown is whether he will be able to handle the pressure and scrutiny that comes with wearing the No.7 jersey at one of the NRL’s biggest clubs.

“You have to fulfill your role consistently and you have to take the weight of it,” he said.

“If the team does well, you get applause, and if the team does badly, the halfback takes the fall.

“That’s what I like most about being a halfback: you lead the team and you’re responsible for what the team does. That’s kind of what excites me.

“I have to learn the NRL because it’s a bit different to Super League, but that’s what excites me. That’s one of the main reasons I came, because I know I’ll be a better player.

The Rabbitohs have failed to settle for a halfback since the departure of Adam Reynolds four years ago. Dodd will likely be the first to stand out, but will face competition from Jamie Humphreys and Jye Gray.

This is the opportunity for Dodd to discover if he has his place in the world’s premier rugby union competition.

“That’s it,” he said. “It’s that moment where you’re nervous and excited, and you have butterflies in your stomach, and you think, ‘Should I be here?’

“Having that pressure – money can’t buy that feeling. That feeling where if everything goes well, it’s the best feeling ever. If it goes wrong, it’s the worst feeling ever.

“That’s why you play this game, and I’m blessed to be able to do it regularly.”

Even before his arrival, critics questioned Dodd’s signing. A few months after joining Souths, he was dropped by St Helens.

“It was obviously difficult, no one likes to be left out, no one wants to be left out,” he said.

“It’s also rugby league, it’s also life – not everything is going to go the way you want it to.

“There are two ways to do this: either you sulk, complain, complain and blame others, or you find out what went wrong and how to fix it, and you can do everything you can to improve.

“The club was honest with me and I knew where I was and how to improve. I just tried to do this the best I can.

“I tried to get back into the team, which I did towards the end (of the season).

“Obviously we haven’t reached the highest of peaks, but you learn a lot about yourself in those moments as a person.

“I didn’t like it at the time. It’s definitely something that I look back on and am a little grateful for, in a weird way, because you definitely learn a lot about yourself and improve as a person.

Dodd’s exploits at the World Club Challenge proved a catalyst for testing himself in the NRL. He will now have the chance to test himself more frequently against the likes of Penrith playmaker Nathan Cleary.

“These are moments that are a bit like a fairy tale,” he said. “It’s what you dream of as a halfback growing up, you dream of experiencing those moments.

“It’s different being in there, you’re a little more nervous than in the dream.” It goes back to what I said before, as a halfback you carry the weight of the team.

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“If it’s good, you take that, and if it’s bad, it’s bad.

“If I miss that and Penrith go through Nathan Cleary or Jarome Luai and get the drop goal, then they get all the applause and I’m the bad guy for missing. That’s what these moments are.

“I will never be afraid of this, I will never be afraid of these moments.”

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