Is Michael Dobson Salford's missing link?

As a Hull Kingston Rovers fan one of the most interesting signings for 2015 is the return to Super League of our former scrum half and team captain Michael Dobson, who has joined Salford..

For the best part of five seasons from 2008 to the end of 2013, when he returned to Australia to play for the Newcastle Knights, Dobson became as synonymous with Hull Kingston Rovers as the club song Red Red Robin.

Dobson was the stand out performer for Hull KR week in, week out and during his time at Craven Park he undoubtedly played the best rugby league of his career and was one of the outstanding players in Super League.

He had already had stints in Super League in 2006, on loan from Canberra Raiders, with Catalans Dragons and Wigan Warriors, whom he helped to drag away from the relegation zone under Brian Noble, before returning to the Australian capital where he made his NRL debut in 2007.

The Raiders released Dobson from his contract in 2008, after just 20 NRL appearances, to allow him to take up the contract offer from Rovers, who were looking for a long-term replacement for James Webster.

Webster had helped pull Rovers from the National Leagues and consolidate their Super League position in 2007 before he suffered a long-term shoulder injury a few weeks into the 2008 season.

Dobson made an immediate impact scoring two tries on his debut on June 25 to help the Robins to a 22-8 win against the London Broncos. Not everything was rosy in the garden, however. Rovers were in only their second season in Super League and were still finding their feet.

After the Broncos victory the team then went on a six-match losing streak before Dobson got them back to winning ways by scoring four tries in a 39-22 home win against his former club Wigan.

Although Dobson could not help Rovers to a top six playoff spot in 2008, the consolidation process was successful and with a host of new signings such as Ben Galea, Daniel Fitzhenry, Clint Newton, Peter Fox, Jake Webster and Shaun Briscoe now bedded in, Rovers were set to explode in 2009.

A brilliant 2009 campaign for Hull KR and Dobson was crowned with a fourth place finish, their best since the title winning days of the 1980s. Dobson won the prestigious Albert Goldthorpe Medal as the rugby league Express Player of the Year.

Dobson was at his mercurial best, constantly creating tries with superb passes and brilliant kicks. Add in his accurate goal kicking and this was a player displaying the full range of skills at a consistently high level.

Rovers lost both playoff games in 2009 and never reached the heights of fourth during the rest of Dobbo’s time at Craven Park but everything that was good about the Red and Whites had some form of contribution from Dobson.

Rumours had been rife for a while and when it was announced in June 2013 that Dobson was leaving Hull KR at the end of the season, it was no surprise.

Although Dobson had a contract for another year, it was common knowledge in Hull that the club would not stand in his way if an approach was made by a NRL club – Dobson had made it clear that he wanted one more crack at the highest level in his home country.

Wayne Bennett’s Newcastle Knights were the club that struck the deal but it seemed strange that it was only a one-year contract. Immediately, the rumour mill in Hull went into overdrive with Dobson linked to our main rivals Hull FC as well as Salford Red Devils upon the completion of his one-year contract at the Knights.

This was especially the case as it was clear that Dobson would not be first choice at the Knights and would be, more than likely, playing reserve grade and covering for injuries.

Dobson did make the Knight’s squad for the inaugural Auckland Nines and made his NRL bow for his new club in the first round of 2014 against Penrith Panthers due to an injury to first choice halfback Jarrod Mullen.

He kept his place for the first five rounds of 2014 before Mullen was fit enough to take his place in the starting 13 and Dobson had to wait until Round 24 before he made his sixth and final NRL appearance for the Knights.

Dobson played in five losses in his six NRL games and played most of the year in the New South Wales Cup reserve grade, in which he was named at scrum half in the competition’s team of the year.

Back in the UK and the rumours kept on coming about Dobbo returning to Super League.

Hull FC, allegedly, made a good contract offer and it was rumoured that Warrington Wolves were also in the hunt but it came as no major surprise that Dr Marwan Koukash got his chequebook out and made Dobson an offer that tempted him back to England with the Salford Red Devils in the form of a four-year contract from 2015.

Koukash has spent plenty of money on new recruits since taking charge of Salford at the start of 2013, including top quality players such as Rangi Chase, Gareth Hock, Kevin Locke, Mason Caton-Brown, Weller Hauraki, Ben Jones-Bishop, Scott Taylor as well as Dobson and, most recently, his former Hull KR colleague Cory Patterson.

Salford could only manage a 10th place finish, four points outside the playoff spots in 2014, and Koukash made it clear that he was not happy with his squad. The question now will be can Michael Dobson turn the Red Devils in to a team that can compete for the Challenge Cup and Super League title?

There is no doubt that they have a squad of high quality and I believe Dobson is the signing that will take them to a top six finish and a strong challenge for a place at Wembley.

He is just what they need and something they have not had.

Rangi Chase and Tim Smith liked to play ‘’off the cuff’ rugby and that is why they did not gel together – when Chase is on his game there is no better sight in rugby league. Dobson will bring more organisation, a better kicking and passing game and great communication skills as well as being a world class goal kicker.

He is the ultimate professional and will leave nothing to chance. He will be the perfect player for coach Iestyn Harris to get his plans into action on the field and I think that if he and Chase are clear on their responsibilities and Chase does not try to impose himself too much, then Dobson will bring Salford, and Koukash, the success that they are craving.

In the short time that Dobson played in the same team as Patterson at Hull KR they struck up a very good relationship on the left edge with Dobson constantly creating gaps for Patterson to charge through.

If he is able to build this type of relationship throughout the squad, the Red Devils have players of high quality out wide, such as Caton-Brown and Jones-Bishop, and a fullback of undoubted brilliance (when he is fit) in Kevin Locke, who can take advantage of this very special player’s quality passing and kicking game.

I fully expect Dobson to be one of the outstanding performers in Super League over the next four years and I believe he will take Salford closer to major honours than they have been for many years.

Good luck Dobbo, I can assure you of a very warm welcome when you come back to East Hull.