'I've been in his shoes': Bud backs Dodd to step up for injury-hit Souths

Jayden Sullivan has urged English playmaker Lewis Dodd to take his chance if called up for next weekend's trip to Perth after heeding the carpool advice of assistant coach Ben Hornby to play a starring role in Friday night’s defeat of Sydney Roosters.

Sullivan, nicknamed 'Bud', was sitting in the passenger seat of Hornby’s car on the way to his first Rabbitohs-Roosters derby when the 2010 Dragons premierships winning captain told him: “You need to be ready for anything”.

A star playmaker at junior level, Sullivan had been thrust into the unfamiliar centre and backrow positions in the opening four matches of the season, but he never expected to be playing halfback against the Roosters after just seven minutes.

“I’ve got a good relationship with Benny, he has been a big supporter of mine through my junior footy. When I first came over to Souths and played in Round 1, he gave me my debut jersey so that was pretty special,” Sullivan said.

“I carpooled with Benny up to the game, I just sat in the front seat, and he pretty much said, ‘you can go anywhere at any time, so you need to be ready’, and seven minutes into the first half I was on the field.”

After coming on to replace Jamie Humphreys at halfback, Sullivan missed a tackle that led to the opening try by Roosters five-eighth Sandon Smith and was crunched in an Angus Crichton tackle the first time he ran the ball.

At least he could draw on the experience of Cody Walker, who was calling most of the shots until he too succumbed to a hamstring injury.

Within 10 minutes of the second half, Sullivan was playing in the halves with Latrell Mitchell, forwards Tallis Duncan and Jai Arrow were in the centres, Jack Wighton had shifted to the wing in place of the injured Mikaele Ravalawa.

Veteran coach Wayne Bennett was down to just one player on the bench and only had one interchange left to use in the remaining 30 minutes.

“Benny told me as soon as I came in at halftime, he said ‘I don’t think Cody is going to be back and the boys have trust in me to get them around the park’,” Sullivan said.

“I played seven and Trell played six. It is a bit hard to keep Trell out of the game if he wants the ball. Trell put the icing on the cake at the end there and set up the winning try. All we could do was just sit back and applaud the try.”

Making his first NRL appearance in nine months, it was a case of cometh the hour, cometh the man as Mitchell laid on a freakish try for winger Isaiah Tass with a 20-metre pass that Walker later described as “courageous” after an earlier intercept.

However, Sullivan played a key role in the Rabbitohs revival, busting the line to send fullback Jye Gray over for a 65th minute try that levelled the scores at 14-14.

“Wayne's been real big on our mindset and I have these three little things that I feel like if I'm making my tackles, running the ball and being involved, I play my best footy,” he said.

“When someone of his caliber cares about you and puts time and effort into you, you never want to let them down. It’s just his honesty and the way he cares about you off the field is really special.

“I wouldn't say star struck, I'm just happy to be in his presence. It’s the trust that he's put in me to be in 17 each week. Rugby league is a game of opportunities, and you never know when you're going to get those opportunities.”

For Dodd, a suspension after the pre-season Charity Shield match against the Dragons ruled him out of the opening round and Humphreys made the most of his chance to cement the No.7 jersey.

However, the injuries are now likely to open the door for Dodd, who steered St Helens to victory against Penrith in the 2022 World Club Challenge, to make his NRL debut against the Cowboys at Optus Stadium next Saturday.

“I've been in Doddie’s shoes and rugby league's a really, really weird sport,” Sullivan said. “A week ago, I was never having these conversations but you have one good game and it all changes at the drop of a hat.

“With Doddie, I feel like he doesn't have to do much, he just has to be himself, he's a real likable fellow off the field and if people like you off the field they're going to like you on the field. He just needs to come in and do his job.”