That cowboys game makes me think we can do ok with Brooks in the team as a passenger. By passenger I don’t mean the everyday low pressure halves duty’s that he’s good at ..eg 5th tackle bombs, damaging tackling, basic running and passing and his 5th tackle kicks to outside backs. If he can keep those rolling and leave the high risk “poetry” combos with Bulla, short kick offs, repeat set kicks and cut out passes to wakeham, things expected of halves (Bulla’s got great touch with his in goal kicks too) we could still end up in mid to top half of the 8. When things are rolling Brooks can still pull out the odd perfect repeat set kicks, in fact on the very odd occasion when we have the momentum and are ahead he’s almost as good as Benji. Just don’t expect that or rely on him when things tighten up, or if what he does decides a game. Also Api revealed in the presser that Brooks is doing some kind of unseen organising that’s vital. I’ll buy that since he said it.
I will venture to say wakeham will step up this year, to the point that by the end of the year, if they under value him $$ wise compared to Brookes he’ll be looking elsewhere. Benji won’t allow that to happen tho. I can see wakeham being Benjis pet project and an extension of himself, although wakehams more mentally tough and more in control of his emotions than Benji.
