English international Lewis Dodd has reportedly drawn interest from Super League side Catalans Dragons for next season, following permission to leave the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
The 23-year-old joined the Rabbitohs ahead of the 2025 season on a reported three-year deal worth $650,000 per year, following four seasons with Super League club St Helens, where he made his debut and played 76 games.
Dodd was one of three high-profile halves signed by Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett ahead of the 2025 season, joining Jamie Humphreys and Jayden Sullivan
While Humphreys and Sullivan have exceeded expectations, Dodd has struggled to make his mark, featuring in just six NRL matches this season with limited game time and spending the bulk of his tenure in the NSW Cup.
Despite being contracted until the end of 2027, the Rabbitohs have reportedly offered Dodd to other clubs, with Catalans Dragons expressing interest in securing his services for the 2026 season, according to All Out Rugby League.
Signing the former St Helens halfback aligns with the club’s recruitment strategy for next season, as the Dragons are set to lose key playmakers Luke Keary to early retirement and Theo Fages, who is expected to join French Elite XIII side Pia Donkeys.
If the transfer goes ahead, Dodd could form a new halves combination with Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs recruit Toby Sexton, who recently agreed to a two-year deal with the French club.
However, a transfer is likely to involve South Sydney contributing a significant portion of Dodd’s reported $650,000-a-season contract, as the Dragons are unlikely to match his current salary.
Bennett acknowledged Dodd’s challenging position, recently saying, “He's in a tough place. The harshest thing that can happen to a player is to be told you're not in first grade, when you think you should be a first-grader.”