The Rabbitohs have confirmed English gun Lewis Dodd has signed a three-year deal with the club.
In a statement on Sunday afternoon, the club confirmed the 22-year-old St Helens halfback would join the club from 2025.
With St Helens, Dodd has claimed a Super League premiership, and kicked the winning field goal to win last year’s World Club Challenge over the Panthers.
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“Lewis is one of the rising stars in England and he indicated to us that he wanted to test himself in the NRL and the Rabbitohs were the club he wanted to do that with,” Rabbitohs football boss Mark Ellison said.
“He is only 22 years-of-age, but … he has all of the attributes that it takes to make it in the NRL.
“Our dealings with him have been first class and we’re looking forward to having him join our club for the 2025 pre-season. We wish him the best of luck for the remainder of the season with St Helens.”
As Wayne Bennett shortens as favourite to reprise head coaching role he held at the Burrow between 2019-2021, Dodd was believed to be a signing Bennett was linked with, especially given news of the deal leaked in the days before Jason Demetriou was sacked.
Bennett has denied those rumours.
Meanwhile, Sydney Morning Herald senior reporter Andrew Webster said a Wayne Bennett return to the club could bring Sam Burgess back into the club’s long-term coaching plans, despite an ugly split last season.
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Webster said Burgess could be lured back to Australia to potentially spend a year as an understudy to Bennett before taking the reigns properly.
Speaking on Nine’s Sunday Footy Show, Webster explained the scenario is “certainly the thinking” of several people at Souths.
“I’d be surprised if it happened straight away, but maybe in the last of the three years of Bennett’s tenure there,” Webster said.
Webster also tipped Bennett would clean out the football department and “bring his own people in”, with the exception of Dave Furner, who has signed a two-year deal.