Player Lewis Dodd

[RLPommy]

And you just know that there is no swap deals ever going to be ratified if your mob don't even think Cleary would make your team.

**** that's hilarious btw.

It’s not my mob, I’m not a Wigan fan. It was tongue in cheek from Radlinski, a clever way to make headlines

 

[Bruster]

Yeah he’s sighed a 6 year deal and there isn’t an NRL clause in there. I think they acted quickly to tie him down as he’d only just signed an improved contract last year. They will expect a big fee if he does go anywhere

That's a good and quick move from Wigan. Nsemba would be on the radar from a lot of other ESL teams. I would have liked him to be on ours but not so. With Liam Farrel at 34 it's not certain how much longer he will play on so ofcourse Wigan had to lock Nsemba down.

 

[Noah]

I have been reading some articles and am warming up to the idea of Dodd, he clearly is not the flashy/all or nothing 7 like a lot of super league clubs have but is a controlling 7 and has a good kicking game.


The Breakdown: Matty Smith analyses St Helens’ attack revamp and new Lewis Dodd role
Aaron Bower
08 Mar 2024 7:00 AM

We’ve changed the way we’re playing this year for the benefit of us as a group but also for Doddy. They had a free role last year, all of them, but Daz (Darrel Clark) is really going to help Doddy’s game in particular.

He’s owning that middle of the field, tram to tram, and the six and the one are playing off that. He’s playing as a first receiver now and that’s where he’s at his best, talking and directing. Jonny and Jack have a free role as second receivers.

That’s different in the sense of last year, Jonny and Lewis played split – what I mean by that is they both had an edge last year. Doddy played on the left, and Jonny was on the right, and Jack had that free role, as you can see from above.

Now, Doddy is first receiver on both sides of the ruck, he sits close to him and the other guys, Jonny and Jack, now have an edge each,

They can float and if we go left or right, we’ve got someone there and Lewis is in the middle of that field, working with his middles. That’s his strength and I can see that in him. He’s also got that injection of speed and a step; we still want him to run and be threatening with the ball, but we want him to be the controlling half, and the general. Daz being in the team has led to that change.

Sometimes there’s too many voices and we’ve tasked him with being the leader. I think that’s what he wants and that’s where the staff see him.

 

[Pplspoet]

I have been reading some articles and am warming up to the idea of Dodd, he clearly is not the flashy/all or nothing 7 like a lot of super league clubs have but is a controlling 7 and has a good kicking game.


The Breakdown: Matty Smith analyses St Helens’ attack revamp and new Lewis Dodd role
Aaron Bower
08 Mar 2024 7:00 AM

We’ve changed the way we’re playing this year for the benefit of us as a group but also for Doddy. They had a free role last year, all of them, but Daz (Darrel Clark) is really going to help Doddy’s game in particular.

He’s owning that middle of the field, tram to tram, and the six and the one are playing off that. He’s playing as a first receiver now and that’s where he’s at his best, talking and directing. Jonny and Jack have a free role as second receivers.

That’s different in the sense of last year, Jonny and Lewis played split – what I mean by that is they both had an edge last year. Doddy played on the left, and Jonny was on the right, and Jack had that free role, as you can see from above.

Now, Doddy is first receiver on both sides of the ruck, he sits close to him and the other guys, Jonny and Jack, now have an edge each,

They can float and if we go left or right, we’ve got someone there and Lewis is in the middle of that field, working with his middles. That’s his strength and I can see that in him. He’s also got that injection of speed and a step; we still want him to run and be threatening with the ball, but we want him to be the controlling half, and the general. Daz being in the team has led to that change.

Sometimes there’s too many voices and we’ve tasked him with being the leader. I think that’s what he wants and that’s where the staff see him.

In the games I watched this year, this wasn’t the case. He and Mbye played split. It was rare for Dodd to get the ball anywhere but his narrow left hand corridor.

 

[Rabbits21]

In the games I watched this year, this wasn’t the case. He and Mbye played split. It was rare for Dodd to get the ball anywhere but his narrow left hand corridor.

Did you see much of his kicking game? That’s been spoken up. I really hope it’s as good as people are saying as the last few years our kicking game has been bottom 4 standard.

 

[Pplspoet]

Did you see much of his kicking game? That’s been spoken up. I really hope it’s as good as people are saying as the last few years our kicking game has been bottom 4 standard.

People have differing takes re:just how effective. Short attacking kicking looks good. General play kicking looked ok. He’s not Adam Reynolds or Mitch Moses or Nathan Cleary with his long kicking game, but he doesn’t appear to be a liability there either. Id hope Trell still takes some of the field position kicks when we’re camped in our end.

 

[Bruster]

I have been reading some articles and am warming up to the idea of Dodd, he clearly is not the flashy/all or nothing 7 like a lot of super league clubs have but is a controlling 7 and has a good kicking game.


The Breakdown: Matty Smith analyses St Helens’ attack revamp and new Lewis Dodd role
Aaron Bower
08 Mar 2024 7:00 AM

We’ve changed the way we’re playing this year for the benefit of us as a group but also for Doddy. They had a free role last year, all of them, but Daz (Darrel Clark) is really going to help Doddy’s game in particular.

He’s owning that middle of the field, tram to tram, and the six and the one are playing off that. He’s playing as a first receiver now and that’s where he’s at his best, talking and directing. Jonny and Jack have a free role as second receivers.

That’s different in the sense of last year, Jonny and Lewis played split – what I mean by that is they both had an edge last year. Doddy played on the left, and Jonny was on the right, and Jack had that free role, as you can see from above.

Now, Doddy is first receiver on both sides of the ruck, he sits close to him and the other guys, Jonny and Jack, now have an edge each,

They can float and if we go left or right, we’ve got someone there and Lewis is in the middle of that field, working with his middles. That’s his strength and I can see that in him. He’s also got that injection of speed and a step; we still want him to run and be threatening with the ball, but we want him to be the controlling half, and the general. Daz being in the team has led to that change.

Sometimes there’s too many voices and we’ve tasked him with being the leader. I think that’s what he wants and that’s where the staff see him.

That was apparently the plan at the start of the season but I didn't see it go like that. Dodd was mostly on the Left at 1st or predominantly 2nd receiver. Lomax was on the right and took most of the plays. Possibly due to having the combo of 2 rep players in Lomax and Welsby, but Dodd didnt see as much of the ball as I thought he could have. The notable exception was the last play that mostly went to Dodd. Wellens, in hindsight, would have been better off to use Dodd in the role described above, because he does have a good step and is fast. I noticed that Dodd was one of the "voices" for St Helens on the field too, as one of their leaders, and this is good for an NRL half. The thing for Dodd is the challange of ESL to NRL and more Paul Wellens to Wayne Bennet that will see the improvement we need for our new 7.

 

[Pplspoet]

That was apparently the plan at the start of the season but I didn't see it go like that. Dodd was mostly on the Left at 1st or predominantly 2nd receiver. Lomax was on the right and took most of the plays. Possibly due to having the combo of 2 rep players in Lomax and Welsby, but Dodd didnt see as much of the ball as I thought he could have. The notable exception was the last play that mostly went to Dodd. Wellens, in hindsight, would have been better off to use Dodd in the role described above, because he does have a good step and is fast. I noticed that Dodd was one of the "voices" for St Helens on the field too, as one of their leaders, and this is good for an NRL half. The thing for Dodd is the challange of ESL to NRL and more Paul Wellens to Wayne Bennet that will see the improvement we need for our new 7.

I hope Dodd’s 2024 was just a case of the coach/club losing their way some and him being the outgoing player that was an easy scapegoat.

The squad had their most success under Woolf who preceded Wellens, so some of it could be a coach taking over an elite team and losing his way (JD anyone?).

Or perhaps it’s somewhat a case of the mood in the squad shifting knowing he had a pending release.

The one good thing 2024 provided was another 12 months of recovery from his 2022 achilles injury. The further that is in the rear vision mirror the better.

 

[Brownrabbit]

People have differing takes re:just how effective. Short attacking kicking looks good. General play kicking looked ok. He’s not Adam Reynolds or Mitch Moses or Nathan Cleary with his long kicking game, but he doesn’t appear to be a liability there either. Id hope Trell still takes some of the field position kicks when we’re camped in our end.

I tend to disagree

He’s long kicking is good, really good

That kick he put in, in the second half inside his own 20 that pulled up on the opposing 10m line was something we haven’t seen here for 3 years

He also kicked long well in the World Club challenge

 

[Bruster]

I tend to disagree

He’s long kicking is good, really good

That kick he put in, in the second half inside his own 20 that pulled up on the opposing 10m line was something we haven’t seen here for 3 years

He also kicked long well in the World Club challenge

In the Eliminator against Warrington in the 2nd half Dodd kicked a low missile from his own 40 and it pulled up in the ingoal area. Not a bad way to turn a poor set into a good set. Still I hope Latrell also kicks those long towering bombs out of our own half. It is good to have these options going into 2025. Looks like our kicking game could be one of our strengths next season.

 

[Shauno]

In the Eliminator against Warrington in the 2nd half Dodd kicked a low missile from his own 40 and it pulled up in the ingoal area. Not a bad way to turn a poor set into a good set. Still I hope Latrell also kicks those long towering bombs out of our own half. It is good to have these options going into 2025. Looks like our kicking game could be one of our strengths next season.

Considering how much of a weakness it's been in recent years, that will be a great change. Hopefully it happens

 

[Gazman]

Did you see much of his kicking game? That’s been spoken up. I really hope it’s as good as people are saying as the last few years our kicking game has been bottom 4 standard.

On what I’ve observed he’ll give us better 5th tackle options particularly in the close to the try line situations. He has a deft short kick and utilises the grubber to good effect. He’s not a great threat with the ball in hand but can spot an opportunity and links well with his outside men.

 

[Brownrabbit]

On what I’ve observed he’ll give us better 5th tackle options particularly in the close to the try line situations. He has a deft short kick and utilises the grubber to good effect. He’s not a great threat with the ball in hand but can spot an opportunity and links well with his outside men.

He’s only 22 he’s still building his game

But he has the skill set. It was nearly two years before Cleary had a try assist from a pass and two Origin series before he had a try assist at that level

The big question is whether he will play both sides of the ruck allowing Cody to dominate the left again or he will be parked on the left causing Cody to play out of position

If he can play the first receiver role feeding Cody on the left and Trell on the right and take control of the 5th tackle he will be what we need this season