I reckon he should go to Super League. Imagine the scrutiny on him if he goes to another club and doesn't kill it.
I'm keen on Hastings/AD
But I don't see the benefit of letting Brooks go until he's off contract.
If he's on around $1m we'd be pushing around $500k for him to play elsewhere, valuing him at 500k. For that much, I think it's better to keep him, play him 14 or in reserves and bring him up to cover injury or keep pressure on the spine.
Nailed it. He shouldn't be in the halves in first grade bar injuries. If someone wants to take him we can chuck something in because he has given us good service and he is a good guy but there are limits.
think douhie is the most over ratedin our halves, is he a 6 a 1 a 3 a 13 or 14
would love in 2024 we flick Brooks and douhie and go for Burton or Munster as a 6 to partner Hastings or Madden at 7
think douhie is the most over ratedin our halves, is he a 6 a 1 a 3 a 13 or 14
AD fits into the same genre as Mbye and CheeKam. He's too slow and lacks the 'flow' to be a fullback, he stifles the attack at 6, his defence is questionable out wide and he doesn't always pull the right trigger when he gets it. He's big enough to be a second rower or the mythical 'ball playing lock' but I think it's clear he couldn't handle the defensive load.
He's a solid player but a square peg. Like Mbye, CheeKam, Connor Watson, Mitch Aubusson, Peachy etc, he doesn't 'own' a position and that suggests he's not the best in any of them. We're paying a fair bit ($650k + IIRC) for someone who is yet to lock down a regular position.
think douhie is the most over ratedin our halves, is he a 6 a 1 a 3 a 13 or 14
AD fits into the same genre as Mbye and CheeKam. He's too slow and lacks the 'flow' to be a fullback, he stifles the attack at 6, his defence is questionable out wide and he doesn't always pull the right trigger when he gets it. He's big enough to be a second rower or the mythical 'ball playing lock' but I think it's clear he couldn't handle the defensive load.
He's a solid player but a square peg. Like Mbye, CheeKam, Connor Watson, Mitch Aubusson, Peachy etc, he doesn't 'own' a position and that suggests he's not the best in any of them. We're paying a fair bit ($650k + IIRC) for someone who is yet to lock down a regular position.
Perfect summaryIMO.
The only caveat is that in my opinion if Mbye could catch bombs, he would still be here.
looks like Brooks is not getting dropped
mind you this is from the same folks that brought you
Brooks on 850k
Brooks on 950k
Brooks on 1.1 million
Brooks on 1.3 million
Pure guesswork so you never know
looks like Brooks is not getting dropped
mind you this is from the same folks that brought you
Brooks on 850k
Brooks on 950k
Brooks on 1.1 million
Brooks on 1.3 million
Pure guesswork so you never know
My theory is that Kimmorley wanted to/intended to drop Brooks but got over called.
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@helmesy good call then hopefully he is not coaching us into the future. Even if Brooks is not in our plans for 2024 he needs to be in the shop window not reserve grade.
in the meantime we have Douhie with two knee injuries, Hastings who may well go to Dogs and Madden who is unproven and probably does not have what it takes, he is no Walker or even Brooks at his early stage of career.
Tough calls need to be made I think Brooks and Douhie both should go and go after
Munster
Burton
to play 6
@jedi-tiger your working under the assumption that putting Brooks in the shop window by playing him in first grade is likely to increase interest from other clubs when the evidence from this season would suggest the opposite is the case.
I also don't really get the dislike for Douhie at five eighth, he's only played a few games there and any time I saw him he was our best player. For sure there are things he could improve on but I don't think he at least deserves first crack at the jersey.
Also forget about signing Munster or Burton, that ship has well and truly sailed.
@celtic_tiger I think Douhie is not a 6 he is a centre or slow fullback or a 13 but defence is an issue
We can do better than Douhie who has had two knee injuries he is a risk. Also do not know how Hastings and Douhie will go as a halves pairing personality wise I don't know if they will gel
Agree Brooks may well not be the answer and the club should move him on potentially but I doubt they will come knocking while he is in reserve grade. With Brooks we have to realise we have him until end of 2023 then he is off the books or new contract at a drastically reduced rate.
For 2022 and 2023 perhaps we need to look at fitting all three in somewhere and at present centre is where we have a hole that douhie can fill.
We need to be looking at Munster and Burton, money speaks all languages and we shoukd be able to be competitive if we use Brooks and Douhie salary
think douhie is the most over ratedin our halves, is he a 6 a 1 a 3 a 13 or 14
AD fits into the same genre as Mbye and CheeKam. He's too slow and lacks the 'flow' to be a fullback, he stifles the attack at 6, his defence is questionable out wide and he doesn't always pull the right trigger when he gets it. He's big enough to be a second rower or the mythical 'ball playing lock' but I think it's clear he couldn't handle the defensive load.
He's a solid player but a square peg. Like Mbye, CheeKam, Connor Watson, Mitch Aubusson, Peachy etc, he doesn't 'own' a position and that suggests he's not the best in any of them. We're paying a fair bit ($650k + IIRC) for someone who is yet to lock down a regular position.
I wouldn't be too quick to pidgeon-hole AD like this. He's only young, who knows where his game will end up? He could possibly become high NRL standard in any of these positions with the right coaching and work on specific areas (edit: well, maybe not fullback!).
What we do know is he is passionate, works hard, wants to win. With his natural talent it's a good foundation to work wit IMO.
Whatever criticisms directed at Brooks are made and granted some are justified,it’s worthy to note that he has the highest tackling averages for halves in the NRL.
Going into this game with a paucity of hard,dominant forwards,I can’t see how dropping him benefits the team given the lack of game time to AD whom in the past has been found out in his lateral defence.It would seem from now till season’s end we’re going to have to rely on scramble defence and out scoring teams,hard to do from the back foot.I can’t see us belting up the opposition packs where we are at the moment unless Stefano can radically improve.
If we lose this one to the Warriors it greatly enhances our chances of getting a maiden wooden spoon,giving further rise to negative whipping-boy status,something I’m sure we can all do without.
I see this as another example of the club over-reacting to cover their backsides for prior mistakes. In 2017, Brooks stayed on for a 2 year extension when Moses, Brooks and Tedesco had left. I think that was good business. Yet in 2018, under Clearly, Brooks has a 'break-out' season getting him awarded with the Dally M half-back of the year.
The club, in an effort to avoid being criticised for 'letting another one go', signs him up to a 5 year extension. Why sign him to a 5 year deal? Even in his award winning season, the club missed out on the top 8. Extend him for 3 years maybe? 5 year contracts are reserved for the elite few players in the game. Brooks has never been in this league and I think it was 'criminal' to offer him this contract in the first place.
It cannot be discounted how much the decisions in 2017/2018 have set the club back.
In terms of the decision to not release him at the beginning of the year... Well we didn't get Douehi back until Round 14. I think it shows the players (and fans) that the year is written off before it starts. Further, if you have given Madge KPI in terms of points and making the top 8 etc, but then take away his 'playmaker', you are sending everyone the wrong message. Remember selling memberships is important to the club as well.
The only value in dropping him is to see the JH/AD combination develop. Outside of that, if we want to get him off the books at the end of the year, putting him in reserve grade only impairs his value to the open market. I think any money saved from his contract next year can assist the club in investing in other areas of the roster which is desperately needed.
Should be moved on? Yes he should be. As Sheens said, "this is a results driven business" and he hasn't delivered in results. Make the call from now. See Roosters with Pearce, they made the hard call on him, got Cooper Cronk and won two premierships... Well we can only dream!
looks like Brooks is not getting dropped
mind you this is from the same folks that brought you
Brooks on 850k
Brooks on 950k
Brooks on 1.1 million
Brooks on 1.3 million
Pure guesswork so you never know
My theory is that Kimmorley wanted to/intended to drop Brooks but got over called.
Most likely and is one of the major issues at the club. Management interfering with coaching decisions.
I see this as another example of the club over-reacting to cover their backsides for prior mistakes. In 2017, Brooks stayed on for a 2 year extension when Moses, Brooks and Tedesco had left. I think that was good business. Yet in 2018, under Clearly, Brooks has a 'break-out' season getting him awarded with the Dally M half-back of the year.
The club, in an effort to avoid being criticised for 'letting another one go', signs him up to a 5 year extension. Why sign him to a 5 year deal? Even in his award winning season, the club missed out on the top 8. Extend him for 3 years maybe? 5 year contracts are reserved for the elite few players in the game. Brooks has never been in this league and I think it was 'criminal' to offer him this contract in the first place.
It cannot be discounted how much the decisions in 2017/2018 have set the club back.
In terms of the decision to not release him at the beginning of the year... Well we didn't get Douehi back until Round 14. I think it shows the players (and fans) that the year is written off before it starts. Further, if you have given Madge KPI in terms of points and making the top 8 etc, but then take away his 'playmaker', you are sending everyone the wrong message. Remember selling memberships is important to the club as well.
The only value in dropping him is to see the JH/AD combination develop. Outside of that, if we want to get him off the books at the end of the year, putting him in reserve grade only impairs his value to the open market. I think any money saved from his contract next year can assist the club in investing in other areas of the roster which is desperately needed.
Should be moved on? Yes he should be. As Sheens said, "this is a results driven business" and he hasn't delivered in results. Make the call from now. See Roosters with Pearce, they made the hard call on him, got Cooper Cronk and won two premierships... Well we can only dream!
I respectfully disagree with that assessment. The point would have been if you are not performing then you shouldn’t be in the NRL squad. That would have sent a strong message to all players. As it is now the players know that they don’t need to perform. Just do the basics because the chances of being dropped, which would diminish their value to other clubs, is virtually non-existent.
