The telepathic relationship between Kyle Flanagan and Blayke Brailey put to the test
From kindergarten through junior footy and high school – even TV game shows – the Roosters’ Kyle Flanagan and Cronulla’s Blayke Brailey have been inseparable for 16-years. That all changes Saturday night.
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Little Blayke Brailey raced through the front door of his home after his first day of kindergarten with a major announcement to make.
“I’ve got a new best friend,’’ six-year-old Brailey called out to his mum and dad. “His name is Kyle Flanagan.”
For the past 16 years, Brailey and Flanagan have been by one another’s side.
Two best mates, bonded by similar character traits: determination, competitive fire and great understanding on a rugby league field.
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“Playing footy together, I always compared our understanding of each other to that of Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith,” Brailey said.
“We always had that connection where we knew what either one of us was going to do before it even happened.
“Kyle calls it ‘telepathic’’ — we didn’t need to call or say anything.’’
In the classroom, they shared a desk at primary school and then swapped HSC notes to get through high school.
Riding in the back seat together on road trips for schoolboy footy carnivals, to places such as Parkes and Bathurst, the loser was the first to fall asleep.
Brailey pipped Flanagan to be named Year 6 school captain of Holy Family Menai. Flanagan was made a prefect.
At the annual primary school cross-country and swimming carnivals, they traded places on the dais each year.
As a halves combination at first, before Brailey moved from five-eighth to hooker at age 12, they combined for 10 straight premierships with the Aquinas Colts from the under 8s to under 16s — and they even appeared together on kids TV game show Kitchen Whiz.
They won that, too — even though Flanagan answered “pikelet” when asked what a French pancake was called.
From co-captains holding junior footy trophies, Harold Matthews and SG Ball selection with the Cronulla Sharks, NSW Cup games with Newtown, NSW under-20s and NSW Residents selection — the best mates have shared their greatest memories together.
Until Saturday night.
For the first time in their lives, Flanagan will tackle his lifelong mate when reigning premiers the Roosters host Cronulla at the SCG.
“I’ve played with him more than any other footballer, but never against him,’’ Flanagan said.
Brailey added: “We’ve always been on the same team. It will be weird seeing him on the field in different colours and also because we know each other’s game so well.
“It’s a pretty proud moment for us, but also our families. We’ve been through the highs and lows of making teams and both missing out on teams.’’
Even though Flanagan left the Sharks last year to replace Cronk as the Roosters general, Brailey has continued to use the same trick-play at Cronulla that he and his junior footy mate first began perfecting on the dusty ovals of Menai.
The move sees Brailey kick from close range into the in-goal for a teammate when the opposition defensive line are camped high on their tryline.
Good judges will recall Sharks prop Aaron Woods bobbling Brailey’s in-goal kick last week against the Warriors.
“Kyle wasn’t the quickest, but he scored a stack of tries from that play,’’ Brailey said.
“It worked from under-6s when we first played together, right through until the 20s and Newtown.’’
Despite the mateship and banter between the two, they are both proud of how they have each responded to a 2020 season that began with new challenges and an examination of their fight.
For Brailey, it has been a year of stepping out from the shadow of his older brother, Jayden, who is now at Newcastle.
In his first full year of NRL, Brailey has played almost every minute of every game so far — without a dummy-half back-up — at the Sharks.
For Flanagan, it has been about his career-defining departure from his junior club, Cronulla, to join the mighty force of the Roosters as heir apparent to Cronk.
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“It was pretty hard for Blayke when Jayden left, but for him to play 80 minutes every week at 80kg, he’s never afraid, he makes every tackle and still walks around without a sweat,’’ Flanagan said.
“I hope he’s proud of me, too.
“It would’ve been good to keep playing with him, but I’m sure he’s happy with my decision.’’
Brailey confirmed as much.
“When he first left (for the Roosters), it was a bit sad,‘’ the Sharks hooker said.
“But at the same time, I knew he had goals of locking down a starting spot, although I do hope that one day down the track we can both link up together.
“As for now, I watch every one of his games.
“When he first went to the Roosters there was a bit of pressure on him filling in for Cooper Cronk and then when he got left out of the squad (by Trent Robinson for two weeks), I’m sure it would’ve been frustrating for him because he’s such a competitive person.
“To come back and play so well is a credit to himself. He works so hard and deserves every praise for what he‘s done.’’
But that‘s where the pleasantries end.
Last Tuesday, Flanagan celebrated his 22nd birthday by waking to a text message of well wishes from Brailey.
Flanagan wrote just one line back: “Make sure you run at me.”