Shock as axe awaits Jake
BULLDOGS Trent Barrett is contemplating a selection bombshell by relegating his first-choice halfback just two rounds into the season.
Jake Averillo has been told to prepare for the possibility of playing in the NSW Cup this week, with 21-game rookie Brandon Wakeham tipped to start as the club’s new halfback against the Sea Eagles on Sunday night.
Barrett is toying with the shock call despite Averillo spending the entire summer forming a combination with star five-eighth Matt Burton.
Wakeham, who has been playing five-eighth with halfback Kyle Flanagan over the past two weeks in the lower grades, is yet to play a game with Burton. Flanagan – despite his dominant form in the NSW Cup – has again been overlooked for a recall.