Bennett tells Dodd he can leave after just six Bunnies games

Lewis Dodd will be leaving South Sydney as soon as he gets another offer, with the $650,000-a-year halfback told he’s now surplus to requirements in Redfern after just six games in the cardinal and myrtle.

Bennett met Dodd on Tuesday, the Daily Telegraph has reported, to tell the unwanted Englishman he can leave the Rabbitohs whenever he finds another opportunity either in the NRL or back in England.

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The 23-year-old joined the Rabbitohs heading into 2025 after signing a three-year deal worth around $2 million, but was nearly immediately frozen out when supercoach Wayne Bennett joined the club. Even with the Bunnies stretched thin with injuries, Bennett has chosen to leave Dodd on the sideline – and then things came to a head this week.

“I have had a conversation with him and I have told him he is free to explore his options,” Bennett said.

It’s no surprise: Dodd has played 80 minutes for the Rabbitohs just two times this season and has been stuck in NSW Cup.

He was very clearly a Jason Demetriou signing, making the whole thing even stranger considering Dodd was signed on April 27 and then Demetriou was sacked by the Sydney club just three days later. Bennett hasn’t minced words around the Englishman either, even recently suggesting “he’s in a category of guys that are struggling out there a little bit.”

Dodd just last week was suggesting he wanted to see out his Souths contract; that feeling has now changed.

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Where Dodd lands is still up for debate, though The Sporting Base has already heard South Sydney is going to have to chip in quite a bit of the Englishman’s $650K-a-year contract to get rid of him.

Most likely is England, where Dodd led St Helens to a Super League title before coming to Australia.

He was also huge in the World Challenge against the Panthers when St Helens defeated the three-time NRL champs.

There are several NRL clubs that may be interested in a cheap punt on the halfback, too, especially the Newcastle Knights – who just signed five-eighth Dylan Brown on the richest contract in rugby league history – and St George Illawarra, though many would then ask why they wouldn’t simply give Lachlan Ilias another chance if they moved for Dodd.

Once everyone is fit, Bennett is expected to favour Cody Walker (who vice-captains the club) and Jamie Humphreys as his long-term halves combo. Humphreys is racing the clock to return at seven after a HIA last week.