News Brandon Wakeham will start in the halves for Canterbury in their season opener against Parramatta

[2ndphase]

Agree, I don't hate anyone that puts on our jersey but not sure where all the love for this guy has suddenly come from. He's off contract this year, where's all the clubs knocking down his door for his "utility value".

Someone posted on here he can play 1-7, can you seriously imagine Holland in the halves.

He was talking about Averillo can cover 1-7.
Im not a fan of Holland either but if one of JMK or Katoa is injured he is the best we have..

But if JMK and Katoa are playing id like Averillo as our utility and bring him into the game slowly with the speed of the game.

If everyone took their blue and white goggles off they would know that we are just making up the numbers this year.
This year should be about blooding youngsters through year and getting them ready for next year.
We have some talent coming through the ranks.

 

[Spoonman84]

We can still have Katoa on the bench and have most positions covered anyway. Granted it requires some reshuffling but copping an injury will do that.

CHN can move to centre if we get an injury there and Hoppa covers fullback and Reimis covers wing.

JMK can go into the halves if we need cover there too.

Holland might just get by at hooker for a few minutes but if he has to play the majorty of the game there for some reason I can see it biting us on the ass big time.

 

[Spoonman84]

How do these guys know this? The team lists hasn't even been announced yet.

They have probably been to training. It's only 5 days from game day when the article was written so it would be pretty easy to see who is playing.

 

[Big M]

We can still have Katoa on the bench and have most positions covered anyway. Granted it requires some reshuffling but copping an injury will do that.

CHN can move to centre if we get an injury there and Hoppa covers fullback and Reimis covers wing.

JMK can go into the halves if we need cover there too.

Holland might just get by at hooker for a few minutes but if he has to play the majorty of the game there for some reason I can see it biting us on the ass big time.

Can you see the lotto numbers to? When you move a backrower to cover for a centre it throws the whole shape of your game out the window as we all saw in previous years and not only with the dogs.This is the reason why most coaches are making a utility player on the bench a priority as he covers for HIA assessments as well as permanent replacement. Nature of the game is changing.

 

[Spoonman84]

Can you see the lotto numbers to? When you move a backrower to cover for a centre it throws the whole shape of your game out the window as we all saw in previous years and not only with the dogs.This is the reason why most coaches are making a utility player on the bench a priority as he covers for HIA assessments as well as permanent replacement. Nature of the game is changing.

Get your hand off it! I'm not predicting anything just saying that it could work. Getting a injury is going to cause disruptions no matter what happens.

Holland isn't a viable option at hooker IMO for more then a few minutes and having him at hooker for long minutes will do more damage then moving a second rower to centre.

 

[AlzzBulldog]

Meaney will play I know that for certain
Jmk is 50/50
The backline is set 1-5 even though I dislike it
1. Dwz
2. Meaney
3. Hop
4. Reimis
5. Knockonbur

dean Britt is in the 17
Toomaga is a certainty too thank god for that
Rfm is a big loss
He killed it in the middle late last year

Why is big for nothing okunbor playing??

 

[khan]

Can you see the lotto numbers to? When you move a backrower to cover for a centre it throws the whole shape of your game out the window as we all saw in previous years and not only with the dogs.This is the reason why most coaches are making a utility player on the bench a priority as he covers for HIA assessments as well as permanent replacement. Nature of the game is changing.

Chn doesnt have the feet for a centre. Horrible possiblity.

 

[boggie23]

I wonder how long Lewis gets at half. Is he the half for the rest of the season and we are waiting for Foran to join him? Or is it a contest and if he doesn’t perform for a month he gets dropped?

Again I’ll sound like a cogger fan boy here which I’m not. But subjectively he ticks all the boxes in the kick pass run department, he can create for others and create for himself. He can attack with a running game. Fair enough cogger isn’t in the top 15 half’s in the comp. but Lewis isn’t in the top 100 players.

Lewis can hold his own as a front on defender, but is cringe worthy as a half. Not fluent. So clunky. And apart from 1-2 kicks which he times off the boot a game (when he doesn’t shank it) I don’t see him offering anything else. Has no pace, has no pass, has no game control. Yet he gets the start over cogger again it seems (same as he did the last 5-6 games of the year).

Good to see wakey get a shot if reports are correct. But based on the trials Lewis should be the last person picked. So it’s confusing to see what logic is behind the decision. Overall Coggee was the better player last year as well. So all I can think is because Lewis played the last 6 games he starts this year?

Silly way to think if it is. And might indicate pay is out of his depth as a head coach.

Anyways. New season so I’ll support pay and hope he knows what he is doing. Don’t want to start the year pessimistically

 

[GDR]

I wonder how long Lewis gets at half. Is he the half for the rest of the season and we are waiting for Foran to join him? Or is it a contest and if he doesn’t perform for a month he gets dropped?

Again I’ll sound like a cogger fan boy here which I’m not. But subjectively he ticks all the boxes in the kick pass run department, he can create for others and create for himself. He can attack with a running game. Fair enough cogger isn’t in the top 15 half’s in the comp. but Lewis isn’t in the top 100 players.

Lewis can hold his own as a front on defender, but is cringe worthy as a half. Not fluent. So clunky. And apart from 1-2 kicks which he times off the boot a game (when he doesn’t shank it) I don’t see him offering anything else. Has no pace, has no pass, has no game control. Yet he gets the start over cogger again it seems (same as he did the last 5-6 games of the year).

Good to see wakey get a shot if reports are correct. But based on the trials Lewis should be the last person picked. So it’s confusing to see what logic is behind the decision. Overall Coggee was the better player last year as well. So all I can think is because Lewis played the last 6 games he starts this year?

Silly way to think if it is. And might indicate pay is out of his depth as a head coach.

Anyways. New season so I’ll support pay and hope he knows what he is doing. Don’t want to start the year pessimistically

The only logic I can think of is defense and a longer kick..

 

[Papa Joe]

For Holland to get the jump over a qualified hooker Katoa must be really struggling. Big call from Pay

If True, I'm guessing this means Katoa will start & JMK isn't fit for round 1 or will have a couple of weeks in the reggies for some match fitness.

 

[Headmix]

If True, I'm guessing this means Katoa will start & JMK isn't fit for round 1 or will have a couple of weeks in the reggies for some match fitness.

Makes sense.

 

[c-b-b]

Will have to wait and see who signs him if anyone,so can’t answer that.He played in the halves all his junior career and senior before linking up with the Knights so he wouldn’t be totally clueless.Dont panic it would only be in an emergency and if it happened the other half on the field would take over.

I understand you can only work with what you've got but I don't see him as a true utility, just my opinion though.

Hopefully we'll see some decent signings for 21.

 

[flamebouyant]

Holland doesn't have the physical attributes of someone like Reimus, but he has some awareness in his play, and on previous occasions when he has come on as dummy half in the second half he has added energy, given the opposition something else to keep an eye on.

That of itself is not good enough reason for him to be on the bench. But there are two reasons that are good reason, and they really point to his role on the squad. He has gone ok coming on off the bench in the past, and did so in the trial as well, and with DWZ and Meaney coming back from injury, you'd really be taking a gamble if you didn't have some sort of option on the bench in case either of them had a problem. This tells us Holland is a backup/utility player in the squad. He is not on big money, he does have a bit of NRL experience now, he fits the bill until someone better shows up.

And to be honest, if cogger or say Averilo are not being wastwd on the bench for the majority of the game, they back in cup playing in their preferred positions while putting pressure on the players in front of them.

 

[speedy2460]

It would be a big call to play JMK as he has had no off season, and has had surgery.
And he hasnt played any trials. He must be a big risk. Katoa must be a starter.

 

[JackDog]

Why is big for nothing okunbor playing??

Cos he didn’t massively fuck up during trials...that’ll happen in the first few rounds when it hurts us more.

Imagine if Reimis gets injured and Holland gets slotted in next to Okb...absolutely frightening

 

[Big M]

Get your hand off it! I'm not predicting anything just saying that it could work. Getting a injury is going to cause disruptions no matter what happens.

Holland isn't a viable option at hooker IMO for more then a few minutes and having him at hooker for long minutes will do more damage then moving a second rower to centre.

Holland had approx 40 minutes at dummy half in each of the trials and also filled in at centre,take this with what he has done as a utility in the past and obviously Pay thinks he can do the job.Nobody else has had that that I can think of. As I have said before the coach needs to pick and stick and stop trying to find a magic solution.IMO if he had done this from day one we would have had an experienced hard headed team by this year.Granted we may have lost a few more games,maybe not. Just an opinion not gospel before others shout me down lol.

 

[doggieaaron]

Lol rip. Pay playing split halves like usual.

Hopefully pay lets wakeham play both sides in attack as lewis just there to defend and kick

 

[CrittaMagic69]

Can't wait for us to gazump the tigers and sign Grant as a starting hooker so we can push JMK into the utility role where he's better suited

 

[CanterburybankstownBD]

That brute wrecking ball we need is David Fifita....dogs need to really go after him for next year.....

I’d much rather Payne Haas

 

[Bazildog]

7 pages... Of what should be happy Kennelers enjoying Wakeham being put in 7 which many called for, and Lewis in 6 which most of those that want him in the side at all called for. Instead from as early as the third post in we have neg shit about Lewis, or they probably wont play Wakeham properly, or Cogger should be there or Averillo blah blah blah..

We are playing Parra in round 1 and anyone that thinks Cogger/Wakeham/Averillo as a combo at 6 & 7 is a good idea must believe that it/we will good enough to put 40+ points on, because we would give up at least that many. Wakeham's selection is a good one but he needs to take it by the scruff of the neck and own it, otherwise Cogger will replace him. Lewis will remain at 6 I reckon unless we start losing again the cripple comes back or we get desperate and try Hoppa there, or buy a gun half.