Ex-Bronco Dodds poised for SL debut

Former Brisbane prop Mitchell Dodds is in line to make to make his Super League debut for Warrington in Thursday’s game against Salford at the AJ Bell Stadium.

The 26-year-old front-rower, whose last senior appearance was in the Broncos’ NRL grand final defeat to North Queensland in October, has missed the first three rounds with a wrist problem but gained some match fitness playing for Warrington’s reserves on Saturday.

“His last game was in front of 85,000 people and at the weekend he got to run out in front of about 300 at Hull Ionians so there was a fair old contrast to his last two games,” said Warrington assistant coach Richard Agar.

“He is chomping at the bit.

“We see a lot of value in what he can do for us defensively around the rucks and that was evident at the weekend.

“He’s a very strong tackler who makes his presence felt in the middle of the field.

“As a front-rower, he will take a little bit more running in than the 55 or 60 minutes he got at the weekend, but he’s in good enough shape to make the squad.”

The Wolves, one of only two clubs with a 100 per cent record so far, are without hooker Daryl Clark, who suffered a slight calf tear in last Friday’s win over Wakefield, and Kurt Gidley, who is facing a mandatory seven-day lay-off after taking a blow to the head against the Wildcats.

Gidley has made an impressive start to his Super League career but Warrington have a handy replacement in utility man Stefan Ratchford, who underwent knee surgery in the close season which forced him to miss England’s Test series against New Zealand but made his comeback alongside Dodds and another prop, Ben Evans, for the reserves.

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