Former Kangaroos and Blues half Greg Alexander believes benched Canterbury playmaker Kyle Flanagan needs to find his running game or faces the axe from the NRL.

Flanagan was hooked by coach Trent Barrett in the side’s loss to St George Illawarra on Sunday.

“That’s not good as a halfback, when you get replaced there’s no worse feeling,” Alexander told SEN Radio.

“Trent will have to go through and discuss Kyle’s game. Generally, he is good at the skills that a halfback requires, and that is kicking and passing.

“He’s competent, but he’s got to run the ball, you can’t be a halfback and just be a run-kick halfback, you can’t do that.

“If you’re not a threat with the ball, that means the defence doesn’t have to worry about you, and If you don’t run forward, you don’t engage those inside defenders then nothing happens.

“Kyle needs to sit down, look at his game, and get the basics right.

“If he doesn’t run the footy, then, well he won’t stay in the NRL.”