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[Pplspoet]

To be honest, his highlights package doesn’t thrill me. Hopefully the best of his play is more nuanced than a highlights reel captures (if he just has a good long kicking game that probably suffices TBF). I can’t see him stepping lazy forwards from 5 out to go in untouched in the NRL.

But we’ll see what he’s got when he gets here.

Looking at next year, 14 of 17 clubs are going to have a pretty solid option at 7.

As long as Dodd can hit that Fogarty, Townsend, Hastings level of output, and not sit at the cellar of the halfback rankings like Ilias I guess it’s an improvement.

And at the first sign of trouble you always have Walker/Wighton.

On his rumoured dropping, they have lost 2 in a row, and last week it was against the side coming 10th. Anybody catch the game?

James Graham did refer to him as the best English half at the moment the other day when talking to Jai Arrow. FWIW.

 

[Bully]

To be honest, his highlights package doesn’t thrill me. Hopefully the best of his play is more nuanced than a highlights reel captures (if he just has a good long kicking game that probably suffices TBF). I can’t see him stepping lazy forwards from 5 out to go in untouched in the NRL.

But we’ll see what he’s got when he gets here.

Looking at next year, 14 of 17 clubs are going to have a pretty solid option at 7.

As long as Dodd can hit that Fogarty, Townsend, Hastings level of output, and not sit at the cellar of the halfback rankings like Ilias I guess it’s an improvement.

And at the first sign of trouble you always have Walker/Wighton.

On his rumoured dropping, they have lost 2 in a row, and last week it was against the side coming 10th. Anybody catch the game?

James Graham did refer to him as the best English half at the moment the other day when talking to Jai Arrow. FWIW.

Agree with all and caught the James Graham comments too.

He cops a lot of flak on social media - plenty mystified as to how he has picked up an NRL deal. I know you take that with a grain of salt but been a lot of comments for a while now in that vain. The general feeling is he looked an elite talent prior to injury (namely ruptured achilles) and hasnt reached those levels again + some express under the current coach the structure/style doesnt suit him.

 

[Pplspoet]

Agree with all and caught the James Graham comments too.

He cops a lot of flak on social media - plenty mystified as to how he has picked up an NRL deal. I know you take that with a grain of salt but been a lot of comments for a while now in that vain. The general feeling is he looked an elite talent prior to injury (namely ruptured achilles) and hasnt reached those levels again + some express under the current coach the structure/style doesnt suit him.

Yep, always difficult.

Achilles are notoriously hard to come back from. Look at Christian Welch. He was in the top 3 forwards in the game prior to doing his.

Takes time to get back, if ever.

You would hope as a halfback though, that while he might not have the speed off the mark, the other parts of his game can continue to develop and counter any loss through the injury.

He’s certainly a gamble though.

Be it the injury, his age/NRL experience, the history of English halves stuggling in Aus, how his game is set up - it’s far from a sure thing.

And even if he is the goods, there will be an NRL adjustment period. Sam Walker is 70 odd games into his NRL career (annd the same ange ans Dodd) and I’d still baulk at him leading a team to a premiership (despite having all the talent). These things take time.

Luckily he has supreme skill and leadership around him in Walker, Wighton, Mitchell and Bennett. Which should aid transition.

 

[yobbo84]

The ESL is a funny beast. Someone like Adam Reynolds wouldn't necessarily be a revelation over there. But someone like Luke Brooks would probably win the Man of Steel.

The game is glorified OzTag. They're starting to ban tackles above the nipples now. It's probably a view to where the NRL is headed.

All we can do is trust that people have seen skills in Dodd that they think will transfer to the NRL.

That, or he was a panic buy in a time we were really struggling. We'll see.

 

[Pplspoet]

That, or he was a panic buy in a time we were really struggling. We'll see.

This is what I’m most worried about.

Until I actually hear Wayne Bennett say ‘Dodd was my call’, I’ll assume this was a signing made at a very very down moment for the club (likely the low point of the last decade), which it’s not impossible to think was a reaction as opposed to a plan.

Having Gould (with a side that needs a 7) say the price didn’t match the risk doesn’t help either. It’s not everything, but it’s something.

Fine for people to infer from comments made by Solly that Wayne was in on it, or assume it based on common sense.

But I feel we’re just as likely to hear Wayne say during the offseason ‘I wasn’t really familiar with him prior to arriving, but he’s looking good at training, etc’.

Will certainly be one of the biggest storylines to follow in 2025.

 

[Bully]

I think all info (particularly by some notable posters on here) suggests Souths and Wayne were in touch wayyyyyy before JD was sacked and you’d have to think if thats true then Wayne had the chat with Woolf re Dodd and he is probably the best person to give an opinion on him.

 

[Shauno]

Having Gould (with a side that needs a 7) say the price didn’t match the risk doesn’t help either. It’s not everything, but it’s something.

Every point you make is totally fair. This one, though, to me was more like a scorned partner bagging their ex than a genuine assessment from Gould. He looked at Dodd for a reason initially.

 

[Bully]

I’ll be interested to see how the club develop Matt Humphries over the next 12-18 months. He’d be 17/18 now, you’d think he does an NRL pre season and he looks our best halves talent coming through. Pretty sure he is the half at one of the Rugby Schools too.

 

[yobbo84]

This is what I’m most worried about.

Until I actually hear Wayne Bennett say ‘Dodd was my call’, I’ll assume this was a signing made at a very very down moment for the club (likely the low point of the last decade), which it’s not impossible to think was a reaction as opposed to a plan.

Having Gould (with a side that needs a 7) say the price didn’t match the risk doesn’t help either. It’s not everything, but it’s something.

Fine for people to infer from comments made by Solly that Wayne was in on it, or assume it based on common sense.

But I feel we’re just as likely to hear Wayne say during the offseason ‘I wasn’t really familiar with him prior to arriving, but he’s looking good at training, etc’.

Will certainly be one of the biggest storylines to follow in 2025.

Wayne winning us #22 next year with Walker/Wighton in the halves, then overseeing the next generation of Dodd/Gray would be a great story... make it happen Wayne

 

[Pplspoet]

Every point you make is totally fair. This one, though, to me was more like a scorned partner bagging their ex than a genuine assessment from Gould. He looked at Dodd for a reason initially.

Entirely possible. I didn’t really read any malice in the comment personally. They do have a good young 7 coming through though. And Gould has said many times that the next great Dogs team will be anchored by guys that have come through their system. So it could simply be a philosophical approach as opposed to the up front payment for a gamble on Dodd.

Unlike the Dogs, we don’t have an elite halfback that’s approaching first grade (the club see Gray as a 1). So the gamble may be more required.

 

[Pplspoet]

Wayne winning us #22 next year with Walker/Wighton in the halves, then overseeing the next generation of Dodd/Gray would be a great story... make it happen Wayne

It’s a good point.

Even if he isn’t THE elite 7 in 2025, as long as he gets there at some point in his deal, we’re good. 22 is still very young for a 7 that has never played NRL.

 

[Noah]

The thing that worried me was that there were reports that Dodd is going to be on 600k. Surely not for an unproven 21 year old half.

 

[Gazman]

To be honest, his highlights package doesn’t thrill me. Hopefully the best of his play is more nuanced than a highlights reel captures (if he just has a good long kicking game that probably suffices TBF). I can’t see him stepping lazy forwards from 5 out to go in untouched in the NRL.

But we’ll see what he’s got when he gets here.

Looking at next year, 14 of 17 clubs are going to have a pretty solid option at 7.

As long as Dodd can hit that Fogarty, Townsend, Hastings level of output, and not sit at the cellar of the halfback rankings like Ilias I guess it’s an improvement.

And at the first sign of trouble you always have Walker/Wighton.

On his rumoured dropping, they have lost 2 in a row, and last week it was against the side coming 10th. Anybody catch the game?

James Graham did refer to him as the best English half at the moment the other day when talking to Jai Arrow. FWIW.

St Helens were very flat in that Castleford game and obviously the coach has made some changes to get a response. I’ve seen all of the StH games and from what I’ve seen Dodd isn’t going to be a great running halfback at the NRL level. He’s a passing, backing up type player with a very good short kicking game. He’s there or thereabouts in a lot of their plays but doesn’t really take on the line, at least from my observations. He does back up the ball carriers through the middle but I can’t say I’ve seen him break the line or get into a position to show if he’s got some pace.
It is definitely a calculated risk……we would gain a good short kicking halfback with some organising skills. I guess we’ll find out soon enough.

 

[Sonic Star]

To be honest, his highlights package doesn’t thrill me. Hopefully the best of his play is more nuanced than a highlights reel captures (if he just has a good long kicking game that probably suffices TBF). I can’t see him stepping lazy forwards from 5 out to go in untouched in the NRL.

But we’ll see what he’s got when he gets here.

Looking at next year, 14 of 17 clubs are going to have a pretty solid option at 7.

As long as Dodd can hit that Fogarty, Townsend, Hastings level of output, and not sit at the cellar of the halfback rankings like Ilias I guess it’s an improvement.

And at the first sign of trouble you always have Walker/Wighton.

On his rumoured dropping, they have lost 2 in a row, and last week it was against the side coming 10th. Anybody catch the game?

James Graham did refer to him as the best English half at the moment the other day when talking to Jai Arrow. FWIW.

I'm not saying Dodd is shit.

But nothing I have seen from him as really impressed me about his game.

I'm not trying to write him off or anything.

He could kill it in the NRL next season.

 

[Kent Brockman]

St Helens were very flat in that Castleford game and obviously the coach has made some changes to get a response. I’ve seen all of the StH games and from what I’ve seen Dodd isn’t going to be a great running halfback at the NRL level. He’s a passing, backing up type player with a very good short kicking game. He’s there or thereabouts in a lot of their plays but doesn’t really take on the line, at least from my observations. He does back up the ball carriers through the middle but I can’t say I’ve seen him break the line or get into a position to show if he’s got some pace.
It is definitely a calculated risk……we would gain a good short kicking halfback with some organising skills. I guess we’ll find out soon enough.

People have mentioned Sam Walker in this thread and while he has gone about as good as the Roosters had hoped I don't think he is a running half either.
Will be great to see what happens next season