Paul Wellens has revealed that St Helens are due to hold discussions imminently over their plans to replace Lewis Dodd: and has hinted they will give serious consideration to internal options.
Dodd will leave the Saints at the end of this season to sign for NRL side South Sydney Rabbitohs: a decision Wellens insists is disappointing, but one that he respects.
The immediate expectation from many is that the Saints would head into the transfer market to find a direct replacement for Dodd: but Wellens has suggested that they will give full consideration to existing members of the Saints’ squad to step into the number seven shirt, too.
He said: “We’re due to sit down as a club and have those discussions around what we see as the best fit. One of the options is to go out and sign another seven as a direct replacement, but we’ve also got Moses (Mbye) who has played in the seven shirt.
“There’s the ability to move Jonny into seven and sign a one or a six, so there’s a number of things we need to discuss and consider.
“We need to respect we’ve half-backs in our junior system too. Will Roberts has returned from a serious injury who we don’t want to stand in the way of. George Whitby will come full-time with us in a short space of time, and we want to provide a pathway for those lads to stake a claim for a position too.”
When asked about Dodd’s departure, Wellens said: “It’s disappointing that he’s chose to go and play elsewhere, but that’s his choice.
“We as a club and I as a coach absolutely respect it. He’s a brilliant young man, we’re very proud of him in terms of what he’s done since he came to the club.
“The way he’s forced his way into the first-team squad and been a key player for us.. we wish him all the best and hope he goes to the NRL and makes a real success of it because there’s no issues or simmering undertones. He’s a great lad.”