Wests Tigers five-eighth Brandon Wakeham says the club needs stability in its spine to prosper, as crucial periods loom for he and halves partner Luke Brooks.
Wakeham has gone from being without an NRL contract in January to lining up as the controlling half at the Tigers in March, with the struggling club bottom of the ladder at 0-4.
He and Brooks are off contract at the NRL club at the end of this season, with the Tigers' halves options open after missing out on Parramatta's Mitch Moses.
There were whispers on Tuesday that Brooks could be axed for Saturday's clash with Brisbane, with Adam Doueihi an option to shift back into the halves from fullback.
Brooks endured a difficult night in the Tigers' loss to Melbourne last Friday, and has long been a whipping boy for fans at the club, which has spent 11 years out of the finals.
Regardless, Wakeham said the Tigers need stability for the combination to grow after playing with three different spines in the opening four rounds under coach Tim Sheens.
"Sheens has said that he's not going to chop and change the team each week," Wakeham said.
"(That) is good to hear, not having it in the back of my head I might get dropped if something doesn't go well.
"It does help if the same combination is in there every week. It helps the whole team on how each other play.
"If we can all play well at the same time then we can keep our jobs."
Wakeham admitted he was not happy with his own game against Melbourne, in his first NRL match as a starting half since turning out for Canterbury last April.
In the time since he went unsigned for the Bulldogs, and was left with the prospect of returning to life as a plumber before being picked up by the Tigers on a one-year deal.
"I had nothing," Wakeham said.
"Knowing I was so close to not having anything, that's why I want to play my best footy this year and get another contract.
"I want to repay the Tigers too."
Wakeham wore the No.6 jersey in last week's loss to Melbourne, but has been told to be the dominant voice and organising halfback in a bid to free up Brooks' running game.
"That's what I do naturally," he said.
"That's where I love to play the game and it means Brooks can run.
"It's all of us as a team, not just me getting Brooks better. If we all do our jobs just a little bit better then it'll go a long way to us winning."
