Could've, Would've, Should've

Josh Lewis - Enough said




Alan Rothery - I thought he was a really promising second rower. Rangy, with ok footwork and a really good offload. He was good for Canberra when given the opportunity and was always a class above in reserve grade comps in his early to mid twenties. Elliott killed his career by rating the likes of Kris Kahler and Terry Martin ahead of him and he ended up returning to Qld and becoming a career Qld Cup player. He's still only 29 and hasn't been with an NRL side since 2007.



James Evans - This bloke was the most promising genuine centre I saw come through the grades last decade. As a young bloke he had everything. He was the perfect size in the modern game, had neat footwork and acceleration but most importantly he had real vision and the most important attacking quality of a centre; ball playing. He could put a winger away with ease. On top of that he was very, very good defensively. He burst onto the scene in 2001/02 and looked a career player for Canberra until finishing a long range try against Parramatta in 2002 he had a sickening collision with the goalpost that broke his leg and ruined his knee. He had a complete knee reconstruction with all 3 major ligaments needing to be repaired.

He had a 12+ month recovery and I still remember his comeback game. He got absolutely torn to shreds in defence and he'd completely lost his acceleration and agility. Even the commentators called it and I was shattered as a massive fan. I think Canberra granted a release not long after and he carved out a 7 or 8 year career on one leg in England. At that point you didn't really get to see much Super League but I'm led to believe while he was never brilliant he was a pretty solid player in his time as a professional across several clubs in england.

 

Carlton Banks?

 

Nice

 

The Reinvent Oneself thread (http://www.cricsim.com/showthread.php?t=46269) made me recall this bloke.



Was such a gun for Parra in 2001; so much so that if Parra won that GF I reckon he would have been the 9 or at least on the bench for the Roos as the team was announced like the next day.

Bedsey was, he didn't make the interchange and the rest is history.

The reason the Reinvent Oneself thread made me recall him is because for fuck knows why, the Raiders tried to make him into a halfback...

 

Simon dwyer

 

The year that Canberra first played Drew at halfback, they finished third and led the comp for the first 20 rounds tbf.

 

No shit?

They got away with it longer than they deserved, still should've always been a rake.

 

Sonny Fai.

 

Unfortunately: Canberra's promising five-eighths of the past 15 years.

1. Mark Mclinden - Was a boom, 18 year old lightning rookie. Always looked best at five-eighth and had a short apprenticeship under Daley. But unfortunately for him he played in some very ordinary teams, was a bit inconsistent and was somewhat a prisoner of his own versatility, playing every position but second row and front row at some point. Moved to England in his mid twenties and his career petered out over there with some ordinary injury and health problems in his late twenties.

William Zillman - Was absolutely lightning at 18-21. Used that acceleration and agility to absolutely dominate reserve grade as a five-eighth, playing heaps with Carney and Campese. Played first grade as a fullback and looked very, very promising. few long range efforts really highlighted him as full of potential then he did his knee. On his come back game he jinked and ran 70 metres to score. Nest touch he jinked again and did his knee a second time. His pace, agility and acceleration was his game. He's a shadow of his former self unfortunately, but good on him for forging a first grade career with the Titans.

to be continued when I have time...