Michael Ennis has called on Luke Brooks and the Tigers to part ways in order for both parties to move on and rebuild their futures in the NRL.
27-year-old Brooks and the Tigers have never played finals together after 175 games over 10 seasons and Ennis believes his form has stagnated in recent years.
“It hasn’t changed for a long time,” Ennis said of Brooks’ form on NRL 360.
“I think the sooner Luke Brooks can leave the Wests Tigers I think it will be best for him. I really do.
“When I saw the Newcastle stuff filter over the off-season, I thought this will be a great move for him.
“A fresh joint. There has been so much spotlight around him rightly or wrongly when the Tigers don’t win, he cops the blame
“I don’t feel like he is getting any benefit out of remaining at the Tigers.”
Ennis pointed to the Sharks tough call not to re-sign Shaun Johnson as evidence the Tigers need to go in a new direction to freshen up the side and he believes a change will be best for Brooks as well.
“The Shaun Johnson example is a perfect one at Cronulla,” Ennis said.
“Shaun was contributing in a lot of areas at Cronulla, but where they wanted to go as a footy club, he wasn’t part of that.
“They bring in Nicho Hynes and you can see what a fresh face and a fresh voice in a key position can do.
“They need that the Wests Tigers. They need a new halfback that brings something completely different.
“Luke Brooks has been there a long time and I think wherever Brooks goes I think it will benefit him too.”
Ennis believes the Tigers have invested too much of their focus in Brooks to turn around the club’s fortunes on his own and it is not fair on the much maligned halfback.
“Why are they not chasing Jahrome Hughes?” Ennis asked.
“There has been plenty of great halfbacks off-contract over the last three or four years that they have never had any interest in.
“They have been solely invested in Luke Brooks being able to turn this around and he hasn’t been able to.
“In fairness he has had a lot of coaches there too, that want him to play a certain way.
“It is time that Luke goes, you know what thanks but I’m done here guys.”
Paul Kent believes Brooks is still a big chance of ending up at the Knights at some point in the future.
“It certainly frees up halfback money,” Kent said if the Tigers let him go.
“I wouldn’t discount that he will end up in Newcastle sooner rather than later.”
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