Early mail: Wayne Bennett faces massive decision at halfback with Jamie Humphreys and Lewis Dodd fighting it out for the No.7 jersey

[Pelican Press 0]

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

Early mail: Wayne Bennett faces massive decision at halfback with Jamie Humphreys and Lewis Dodd fighting it out for the No.7 jersey

Master coach Wayne Bennett has made some massive coaching calls throughout his glittering career, and he’s about to make another with all eyes on South Sydney’s team list on Tuesday to see whether high-profile recruit Lewis Dodd is able to force his way into the No.7 jersey.

Dodd signed a three-year deal to be the club’s halfback, but a one-game ban ruled him out of their round one clash against the Dolphins which allowed young gun Jamie Humphreys to come in and show he belongs in first grade.

The one-time Sea Eagles was brilliant on Friday night, kicking for a whopping 711 metres and making 24 of his 25 tackles to put pressure on Bennett to make a potentially season-defining call in the halves.

“You’ll have to read the papers on Tuesday,” he said with a grin after the game when asked if Humphreys would keep his job.

“I thought he was pretty good.

“We only had 50 per cent of our team out there so he’s only going to get better because they haven’t played for so long, or in his case this was his first time up (for the club).

“He had a lot of responsibility to play halfback.”

Halves partner Cody Walker said Humphreys was “outstanding” in his first game for the club.

“He’s a pretty quiet kid, but he’s calm out there with a calm head,” he said.

“He’s quite a big boy so defensively he was outstanding.”

Sea Eagles fans were gutted to see him leave last year given they thought he would one day replace Daly Cherry-Evans, and now Souths fans want to see more of him after he led them to a thrilling win over the Dolphins.

“It all comes down to opportunity, and that’s what was presented here at Souths,” Humphreys said.

“It’s something I really wanted to go after, and I backed myself a little bit knowing that I’d have to come here and hit the ground running in the pre-season.

“It was a really special moment. Pulling on a Souths jersey for the first time was a really proud moment for my family.

“It felt different (to the Manly debut) because I was preparing for a round one game. It felt like I had a bit more prep, which was good, and I knew my role because Wayne kept it simple.”

The big question now is whether he’ll keep his spot for Saturday’s clash against the Dragons, with Humphreys happy to play anywhere in the 17 but making it clear that halfback is his best spot.

“Competition is healthy for a side. It keeps everyone on their toes,” he said.

“I’m just going to keep doing everything I can. Wherever Wayne needs me, I’ll play. I feel really confident and comfortable in that seven jersey. Every time he trusts me to play there, I’ll do my best.

“I came through playing in the halves and I feel really natural there and I’m really confident in my kicking game.”

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

#Early #mail #Wayne #Bennett #faces #massive #decision #halfback #Jamie #Humphreys #Lewis #Dodd #fighting #No.7 #jersey

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

For verified travel tips and real support, visit: https://hopzone.eu/