#6 Brendan Cannon
Another tough, uncompromising hooker comes in next on our list with Brendan Cannon. One can understand the reasons behind Canno’s departure to the Waratahs at the end of the 1999 season. He was behind Michael Foley at the Reds, of whom coach Connolly was an avid fan leaving Cannon to only start in three of his 19 Super Rugby games. Add to this the fact that Tah hooker, Phil Kearns, was due to retire after the 1999 RWC and Cannon’s decision was an obvious one.
But what of Queensland’s decision to let him go? They system had invested so much in Brendan, particularly around his conversion from the backrow to hooker. These investments take time and perhaps Knuckles wasn’t prepared to invest further? Especially when his club Brothers had another ready-made option, in Sean Hardman, to sit on the bench and bide his time.
Meanwhile Canno would go on to be an extremely valuable member of the Waratah pack and, after them, a key signing for the Western Force. A Wallaby debut would come in the 2001 Lions series and in the 2003 RWC he established himself as one of the world’s best rakes.
This is one of those ‘in hindsight’ type of selections, but Canno would have been a wonderful continuation from the Foley era and provided and hardened edge to our Reds pack.
