Former St Helens man Lewis Dodd finally got his first NRL start since signing in the off-season for South Sydney Rabbitohs but it ended in defeat.
The Rabbitohs couldn’t claw it back after a slow start and the Newcastle Knights grabbed a 30-4 victory in NRL’s Magic Weekend.
Dodd was starting in the number six jersey and was alongside Jayden Sullivan in the halves but the pair barely got a chance to combine, with the Bunnies conceding three tries in the first 12 minutes.
Speaking to Darren Lockyer after the game, Dodd said his side just couldn’t seem to get a foothold on the game following such a slow start.
He said: “You work all week on the start, it’s something Wayne’s really big on. We missed a jump there and couldn’t get it back.
South Sydney are struggling across the spine at the moment with Cody Walker, Jamie Humphreys and Jack Wighton all injured.
Latrell Mitchell was also suspended for this game and Jye Gray filled in at fullback for the Bunnies.
However, he went off in the 58th minute with a quad injury as well as hooker Peter Mamouzelos, who looks to have fractured his elbow.
Dodd’s response to questions over his lack of NRL experience
When asked if inexperience was the key to the loss, Dodd replied: “Maybe a little bit but we know how to play football, we know how to play the game plan.
“I think it’s something that me and the spine have got to look at, we did it for parts and when we did, we spoke about how we looked quite threatening.
“It’s just about doing that for longer and you give yourself a better chance then.”
Whilst Dodd had a less-than-stellar performance, the Bunnies’ attack and defence weren’t good enough to beat the Knights.
The former St Helens half has come into some criticism for his move to the NRL but it might take him a few more weeks to find his feet in the side.
