The team news for NRL Magic Round is in with just six Englishmen set to feature as two others are snubbed.
Perhaps not the most notable player to be snubbed, given he’s still yet to have an NRL start, is Lewis Dodd but the decision by Wayne Bennett to overlook the former St Helens man once again spells disaster for Dodd.
The young playmaker has made appearances off the interchange bench in the past two weeks, earning his debut in Round Seven against Canterbury Bulldogs, but he’s been thrust into situations where it was hard to impress.
It looked like he would finally earn his long-awaited NRL starting debut this week given that Cody Walker is injured and Latrell Mitchell suspended, however, Wayne Bennett has opted to play Jack Wighton in the halves alongside Jayden Sullivan.
Moreover, there isn’t even a spot for Dodd on the bench as there has been in the past two weeks and that’s seen it suggested by Fox Sports that Bennett “just doesn’t trust” Dodd. Youngster Jamie Humphreys is expected to be back next week meaning Dodd’s best chance to start looks to have passed him by.
NRL team news with Dom Young overlooked again
As for the other English players in the NRL, the team news read badly for winger Dom Young with Trent Robinson leaving him out for a second week running. Victor Radley does start.
Robinson has made no change to last week’s 17 with the England winger omitted in the week that rumours of a possible return to Newcastle Knights emerge, something to watch in the ensuing weeks.
Young’s Roosters play The Dolphins and Herbie Farnworth starts for them in the centres once again as they look to bounce back after a loss to the Raiders.
As for the Raiders, their English duo of Matty Nicholson and Morgan Smithies continues in the pack with Nicholson scoring once again last week as his impressive debut season continues.
Kai Pearce-Paul is another of those impressive English forwards in the NRL and he is named to the Newcastle team to take on Souths with the latest news out of the Knights being that Mat Croker, dropped to the bench, has had a “big offer” from Super League.
John Bateman plays for North Queensland as they look to build on their win over the Titans with Todd Payten naming an unchanged 17.
