Jamie Humphreys’ stellar performance in his Souths debut last Friday night has likely won him the Rabbitohs No. 7 jersey going forward, in turn causing a $650,000 headache for coach Wayne Bennett.
Both Humphreys and star UK import Lewis Dodd joined the Rabbitohs this off-season, with Souths paying Dodd $650,000 a season to pry him away from the Super League.
Dodd struggled in the pre-season and ended up being suspended for a high shot, ruling him out of Round 1.
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Humphreys, a former Sea Eagle with just one first grade under his belt, joined the Rabbitohs as a versatile yet unproven commodity.
It was assumed Dodd would win the halfback job, but Humphreys has made every post a winner while Dodd has been slow into stride.
Even though Dodd is available for selection in Round 2, Humphreys likely has done enough to keep his spot according to The Daily Telegraph’s Brent Read.
That led veteran journalist Phil Rothfield to address the elephant in the room.
“We talk about recruitment. They have a $650,000 UK import playing NSW Cup,” Rothfield said referring to Dodd.
Bennett didn’t give anything away in his post-match press conference on who would be the team’s halfback, but praised Humphreys’ performance against the Dolphins.
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NRL360 host Braith Anasta also loved what he saw from the 23-year-old.
“Humphreys was really good at halfback in his first game for the club. His kicking game was sensational, he’s a big body and he made 30 tackles and missed zero.
“I think we already know (Humphreys will be named at halfback).”
Last year, the Rabbitohs signed Dodd for 2025 before they signed Bennett, meaning it’s more than likely the legendary coach didn’t have a say in Dodd’s deal.
Dan Ginnane said that because of this, Bennett won’t feel an obligation to play Dodd over Humphreys despite the fact the former is on much more money.
“Dodd wasn’t a Wayne purchase. If Wayne had bought him then he’s tied to him more closely, therefore he’s just going to play his best 17.”
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