Braith Anasta has described the Rabbitohs’ signing of Lewis Dodd as “one of the great recruitment blunders in NRL history” as reports emerged that coach Wayne Bennett had told Dodd he was free to leave the club.
Bennett had a meeting with the Englishman on Tuesday and told him he was free to look elsewhere in the NRL or overseas.
Dodd has played just six NRL games in 2025, and just 68 minutes in the number seven jersey, despite signing a huge $2 million, three-year deal worth $650,000 a season, and a huge injury crisis at the club.
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Anasta, the host of NRL 360, gave a frank assessment of the Rabbitohs’ decision to sign Dodd, who won a Super League title and a World Club Challenge title with St Helens.
“It’s one of the great recruitment blunders in NRL history,” Anasta said on Wednesday night.
“I just can’t get my head around how (CEO) Blake Solly, (football manager) Mark Ellison are the ones flying to England to sign a premier half for your club without the permission of a coach.
“I can’t get my head around it.”
Co-host Gorden Tallis believes the club would have run the signing of Dodd past coach Wayne Bennett.
“You would think (Bennett) would have been asked (about Dodd),” Tallis said.
Anasta said Solly and Ellison needed to take responsibility for the decision to sign Dodd.
“The fact of the matter is Ello and Blake have got their hands all over it, it’s just whether Wayne knew or not,” Anasta added.
“Wayne might have had one fingerprint on it,” Tallis said.
Anasta said he was always surprised by the Rabbitohs’ decision to sign Dodd, given there were others playing in the Super League who seemed more suitable to join an NRL club.
“Everything I have heard out of the Super League, from coaches, players over there, and even recruitment back here, is that there’s four or five better candidates that could be better in our game over here, in the NRL,” Anasta said.
“I think there’s just some accountability that needs to be taken there.”
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Tallis said he was “shocked” the Rabbitohs are in last spot on the ladder, with Bennett rejoining the club this season.
“Probably shocked with the injuries, and I know Wayne, and normally, Wayne Bennett coached sides compete really hard, they win against the odds, don’t give up,” Tallis said.
“The way that they’ve sort of fallen apart, I think I am shocked, and if you went to every Souths fan, they wouldn’t believe that they’d be in this position, no way.”
