Wazza Stevens
Warren “Wazza” Stevens/Jacobs (2004-2005, 2007)
Israel Cannan
Episodes: 3818-3907, 3990-4013, 4431
Occupation: Student
Wazza was Ric Dalby’s best friend back when he insisted everyone call him by his surname. He was first seen with Ric teasing Henry about his tap dancing performance for Noah’s memorial show. At the event, they started making rude remarks about Henry only for Josie to step in and grab Ric by the ear, telling them both to behave.
When Henry decided the best way to deal with the bullies was to join them, both Wazza and Ric were amused at having him as their errand boy. They wound him up about Rhys cheating on his mother, goading him into causing a disturbance at the kiosk and throwing a packet of crisps everywhere while they looked on from a distance. The pair later sneaked back in and burnt the kiosk down and Wazza seemed to be complicit in Ric pinning the blame on Henry and getting him in trouble with the police. Wazza didn’t seem to be as canny as Ric; when Wazza started making jokes about Barry, Ric noticed the principal was within earshot and quickly pretended to defend him.
Robbie and Tasha decided to take Ric down a peg or two and found Wazza an easy pawn, letting him overhear them say that they had a map to a dope crop without mentioning that the police were keeping an eye on it. Wazza helped steal the map but Ric left him out of his plan to try and steal from the crop, which led to him being beaten up by his father. Wazza seemed unaware of Ric’s home situation. When Ric returned to school, he tried to quiz him about what had happened but Ric ignored him.
Wazza was apparently forced to repeat Year 10 since he was seen in classes with Henry and Matilda the following year despite being older than them. He seemed unimpressed with the new, improved Ric and formed an unlikely alliance with Henry to make his life a misery. They made fun of him in class and, despite Matilda and Sally telling them to pack it in, stuck a nasty message on the noticeboard about Ric killing his father.
Ric later approached Wazza and apologised for ending their friendship the previous year, explaining his father told him to stay away from him. They went to the surf club together where they made rude remarks about Kane being arrested for armed robbery and the police letting him go after what he did to Dani, upsetting Kirsty and prompting Kane to grab the pair and threaten them until Matilda stepped in. He and Ric later took Matilda and her friend Emma out to a nightclub; he and Emma seemed to get on well and she later mentioned they were dating.
After an absence of a few months, Wazza was the only person around for Ric to confide in when Cassie wanted them to sleep together; Ric was worried Cassie was only doing it because she was jealous of Matilda but Wazza encouraged him to go for it. A few weeks later, when Ric and Cassie had sorted through their doubts, he reminded Ric he needed to buy some protection and accompanied him on an embarrassed attempt to buy a packet of condoms, during which Ric knocked over the display and then couldn’t face buying them while Colleen was serving, pretending he was there for sun protection. Wazza then handed Ric a packet he’d had all along, explaining he just enjoyed seeing him panic. After they’d slept together, Cassie was upset to hear Ric talking about it with Wazza, which contributed to them breaking up.
Wazza* reappeared about two years later, when he and some friends congratulated Lucas on sleeping with Naomi after Colleen published an article about the affair in the paper. Things apparently hadn’t changed much for him since Matilda and Brad quickly told him to take a hike.
*Wazza’s surname was originally given as Stevens from 2004-2005, but on his return in 2007 he was credited as Wazza Jacobs.