News Canterbury Bulldogs rookie Brandon Wakeham wants starting NRL halves spot in 2020

[GoTheDoggies]

Anasta could put up some towering bombs Lewis does his lolly kicks

You don't win premierships carrying passengers in the spine, every player in that spine needs to be class.

 

[gazza]

Anasta never lived up to the hype. Not his fault. But Anasta will forever be connected with the decision by the dogs to reject one of the best footballers to ever to play the game. And for that he will always be in Thurston's shadow. I was cranky when the dogs preferred Anasta to Thurston and I still am. Wakeham at half and Lewis back to five eight. Hopefully the waste of time with that broken Foran is over for good.

 

[Bazildog]

Anasta never lived up to the hype. Not his fault. But Anasta will forever be connected with the decision by the dogs to reject one of the best footballers to ever to play the game. And for that he will always be in Thurston's shadow. I was cranky when the dogs preferred Anasta to Thurston and I still am. Wakeham at half and Lewis back to five eight. Hopefully the waste of time with that broken Foran is over for good.

Unfortunately Anasta was a bit of mates deal with George Piggins from Bullfrog and he always kept is word. Easily the worst decision EVER in hindsight, but to be fair at the time Anasta appeared a lot more accomplished than JT. I still think about the talent that may have stayed and also who would have been attracted to the dogs from 04 til 18 when he retired had we kept him and not Anasta...

 

[TwinTurbo]

I don't recall the Anasta versus Thurston question being much raised at the time, it was more like Sherwin versus Thurston. Thurston was generally considered too small for 1/2 let alone a 5/8. Sherwin should have won the Daily M in 2002 over Andrew Johns, who was sent off in a game and still was given Daily M points, smelled like a stitch up at the time and still does 18 years later. Shifty was a pretty handy back up goal kicker, so it wasn't as if Thurston had that over him either. If (always the IF) we had kept Thurston for 1 more year, 2005 when Sherwin was injured and out for several games. Thurston would have had the spot, having grown physically and shown more of what he was capable of. Sometimes the timing just doesn't work out, despite everyone's best efforts.

Happy New Year to All
Go Dogs

 

[BlackDawg]

Thurston was used as utility of the bench in 2004 when we won. JT was great but Sherwin was the better half at the time. As much as he was the one that got away we had just won a title. I think more recent decisions like Finucane & Morris twins have pissed me off more.

 

[Flanagun]

Lewis and Wakeham will soon be the best halves pairing in the comp. Watch this space.

 

[Mackdoggies]

Thurston was used as utility of the bench in 2004 when we won. JT was great but Sherwin was the better half at the time. As much as he was the one that got away we had just won a title. I think more recent decisions like Finucane & Morris twins have pissed me off more.

Finucane and Morris twins? How about cook and taupau! Or rejecting tedesco? Or booting ennis? Rejecting Latrell Mitchell as a junior?

Luckily we have made so many shit decisions over the last decade that the thurston mistake doesn’t seem so bad now. It was a massive mistake though.

 

[TwinTurbo]

Thurston was used as utility of the bench in 2004 when we won. JT was great but Sherwin was the better half at the time. As much as he was the one that got away we had just won a title. I think more recent decisions like Finucane & Morris twins have pissed me off more.

Finucane left at the end of 2014 and for 2015 we had Tolman, Graham, Pritchard, Eastwood and Jackson. There simply wasn't room for Finucane as a starter. Personally I didn't (and still don't) rate Finucane over that 5. Off the bench we had Kasiano, Lane, Ese'ese, Perret and Williams which (with hindsight) we should have kept Finucane over. But he wanted a bigger role than that, so he was going anyway.

Brett Morris missed more than half of the Chooks season last year with injury, as a result I'm happy that he was let go at the right time. Plus we have more than enough wingers, so it's not like in that position we were left stranded without him. Plus he wanted a 2 year contract or nothing, so it wasn't a difficult call to release him. It could be argued that if we had kept him we wouldn't have had the Cap space to fit DWZ when he became available.

Josh Morris I think most would agree we should have kept, we were short a quality centre last year, but again he wanted 2 years and we offered 1. He went well for the Sharks this year, but next year might be a different story with Xerri and Ramien above him and Dugan in the mix. Maybe knocking back his ask for 2 years will end up being a good call, depending on how the others we kept turn out this year.

As the song goes, 2 out of 3 ain't bad.

Happy New Year to All
Go Dogs

 

[doggieaaron]

Lewis and Wakeham will soon be the best halves pairing in the comp. Watch this space.

I really hope pay grows a pair and picks these 2 as starting halves ,cogger can be backup

 

[TrioBench 1995]

We want it for you too mate! #wakehamisthefuture

I’m not the messiah I’m not the messiah

 

[coach]

I’m not the messiah I’m not the messiah

Your just a very naughty boy

 

[Memberberries]

The kid is right to draw inspiration from Sherwin and Thurston.

JT is one of the greatest to play rugby league in its 112 year history.

I said that even before he played first grade.

 

[B-Train]

I don't recall the Anasta versus Thurston question being much raised at the time, it was more like Sherwin versus Thurston. Thurston was generally considered too small for 1/2 let alone a 5/8. Sherwin should have won the Daily M in 2002 over Andrew Johns, who was sent off in a game and still was given Daily M points, smelled like a stitch up at the time and still does 18 years later. Shifty was a pretty handy back up goal kicker, so it wasn't as if Thurston had that over him either. If (always the IF) we had kept Thurston for 1 more year, 2005 when Sherwin was injured and out for several games. Thurston would have had the spot, having grown physically and shown more of what he was capable of. Sometimes the timing just doesn't work out, despite everyone's best efforts.

Happy New Year to All
Go Dogs

The question was raised at the time by many of us. Sherwin had proven to be one of the best halves in the comp whereas Anasta was proven to be overrated. Thurston had proven physically he could handle FG and skill wise he was as classy as they come. He and Shifty combined well when they played together..

Anasta while highly rated and a rep player around that time, still was quite inconsistent and had some shockers in big games and key moments.. The amount of passes into touch, intercepts thrown and kicks out on the full by Braith were too many to remember.

This lead to some doubts as to whether he should have been kept over Thurston who would have cost a lot less and had shown as much, if not more talent than Braith in the games where he came off the bench or started..

Add to this the fact that Anasta always was looking to leave and was flirting with a return to Rugby with the Waratahs or to join his uncle at Souths or the Roosters where he ended up.

It's not just revisionist history. I and many others wanted Thurston re-signed over Anasta at the time and we were disappointed with the decision Noad and the club made. Unfortunately we were proven right as Anasta regressed each year after and soon fled for the Roosters whereas Thurston flourished into an immortal..

 

[doggieaaron]

As much as he cops alot of shit on here lewis starting at 6 for us his defence on the edge saves us so many times and hopefully his passing/kicking game improves but i feel wakeham has to be 7 as he has x factor to compensate for lewis in attack and cogger there if wakeham doesn’t deliver anyway time will tell.

 

[D- voice]

For the past two years the plan was to ease Wakeham into first grade
The Foran situation should speed up his arrival
Let's see what Pay comes up with !!!

 

[BELMORE]

For the past two years the plan was to ease Wakeham into first grade
The Foran situation should speed up his arrival
Let's see what Pay comes up with !!!

Whos plan was it? Is Dean Pay on the same page?

 

[Dogna88]

Wakeham is leading. He will partner Lewis unless he has a shocker in the trials

 

[jamma01]

Wakeham is leading. He will partner Lewis unless he has a shocker in the trials

According to who ?

 

[albatross]

Wakeham is leading. He will partner Lewis unless he has a shocker in the trials

Yeah I can't see how Pay can go past Wakeham. He's played test footy and been among the best players in winning teams. He kicked well and organised his team like a proper half should. To do that with little top grade experience against quality players, on very limited preparation, shits on anything Lewis or Cogger have done. Lewis should play 5/8 to start with - his defence brings a lot - but he needs to improve his attack.

 

[bradyk]

According to who ?

Unless he has inside sources there is no reason to think anything other then Lewis and Cogger starting the season in the halves (it's probably just what he wants to happen - which a lot of people do to be fair). They're the favourites.