LEWIS Dodd’s decision to leave for the NRL at the end of the season will leave Saints with a considerable void in a key position from 2025 onwards.

Saints had hoped to continue to build their team around Dodd and Jack Welsby, two of the young stars in an ageing team, as they slowly evolve a team that has largely been together for a decade.

Dodd’s decision to decline the club’s two-year option in favour of the lure of South Sydney Rabbitohs leaves the club’s leadership with a big call to make.

That task is made considerably more difficult given the dearth of quality number 7s – had there not been such a global shortage then it is unlikely that an NRL club like Souths would be taking a punt on a 22-year-old Super League player who has not really hit form since his return from a ruptured Achilles.

Saints have three routes to go down as they move to fill the gap – something coach Paul Wellens spelled out.

Wellens said: “We are due to sit down as a club as we do quite often and have those discussions around what we see is the best fit.

“We have got options. One of the options is to go out and sign another number seven as a direct replacement.

“We've also got Moses Mbye, who's played in the seven shirt and we have got the ability to move Jonny Lomax into seven and sign a one or a six.

“So there's a number of things that we need to consider and discuss and we've also got to be respectful of the fact that we've got a couple of young halfbacks in our junior system.

“Will Roberts, who's just returned from a serious ACL injury, is a very good young player who we don't want to stand in the way of.

“And also young George Whitby in the 19s who will in a short space of time come full time with us as well.

“So we want to provide a pathway to those two players to stake a claim for a position as well.”

There is an understandable clamour from the supporters for external signings – just as there was when Regan Grace departed for rugby union and there has been, to some extent, for a new front rower since the injury to Agnatius Paasi and the relative departures of Kyle Amor and Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook.

External recruits to the side are on the table, particularly with other departures likely by the end of the season – but that will always be interlaced with strong promotion from within given that the club’s success has largely been built on Academy products.

Young centre Jonny Vaughan, who has been impressing on dual reg with Swinton, and prop Noah Stephens are knocking on the door for first team recognition with the latter included in the match-day 21 for a run of games recently.

And they are not alone, but there is an understandable clamour to inject ready-made proven talent into key spots given the way the team is transitioning in a competitive Super League.

One aspect of Dodd’s departure to factor in is that it does not necessarily release a windfall of cash and cap space, given a fair portion of the latter will have been subject to considerable dispensation under the Club Trained rule.

Wellens said: “One of the strengths of any successful club is having a strong junior system and when you are missing players or you're doing it tough at times these players come in and understand the way you play, understand the identity of the club and very much in touch with the DNA of the club in terms of going out there and wanting to work hard.

“That's why we feel that we've had a lot of success in the past if you look at players like Lewis, like Jack, like Jon Bennison and even the more experienced players who've come through the Junior system.

“They've all had an opportunity to come in, fight for their spots, and once they earn their opportunity to keep the shirts but that challenge is always there.

“But having a strong junior system certainly helps to be successful and that will continue to be the case.”