@the-last-ronin get a 7 like townsend Brooks can easily play the 6 role for 2 years until Onitoni Large is ready
But what does he bring to the table as a 6?
I’ve always been on the fence with Brooks and thought he would have a great season this year however that hasn’t happened. He’s come up with the odd good play and 1 top shelf game the rest has been poor. He’s had every opportunity to show he can be a serviceable half and hasn’t been up to it. I’m genuinely interested in what people believe he brings to the team because I just can’t see it moving forward.
good on him getting to 200 games it’s a great achievement.
@tiger5150 I can’t recall a club getting for an injury on the field unless the player retired. It may be an option but I don’t think it’s ever happened and doubt it will. Things could get out of control quickly
@the-last-ronin get a 7 like townsend Brooks can easily play the 6 role for 2 years until Onitoni Large is ready
But what does he bring to the table as a 6?
I’ve always been on the fence with Brooks and thought he would have a great season this year however that hasn’t happened. He’s come up with the odd good play and 1 top shelf game the rest has been poor. He’s had every opportunity to show he can be a serviceable half and hasn’t been up to it. I’m genuinely interested in what people believe he brings to the team because I just can’t see it moving forward.
good on him getting to 200 games it’s a great achievement.
When talking about Brooks as a 6, I tend to look at other 5/8's in the competition and judge their output, both good and bad. What Brooks has done the past 4 games is comparable to the better 5/8's in the competition. Not Walker or Munster, but he has played as well or better then Luai, Moylan, Mam, Brown, Keary, Dearden etc. So i think that's where people see him as being a reasonable option at 6, provided we have a 7 that does what he need (which is a hell of a lot to be fair).
Luke Brooks believes he could form a Benji Marshall-like combination with Shaun Johnson if Wests Tigers can lure the revitalised former golden boot winner back across the ditch.
While Brooks' own future at the club remains uncertain beyond the 2023 NRL season, the Tigers are making no secret of their interest in enticing Johnson back from New Zealand and the Warriors.
The 2014 world player of the year and former Kiwi test captain has reignited his career in a second coming at the Warriors.
Even milestone man Brooks has been impressed with how 32-year-old Johnson has wound back the clock following a somewhat underwhelming three-season stint at Cronulla.
"He's a great player and he's in good form this season," Brooks said ahead of his 200th NRL game on Saturday against North Queensland.
While many think Brooks may need a fresh start elsewhere after his contract ends this season, the 28-year-old on Tuesday said finishing his career as a one-club man was his preferred option.
And he can easily envisage striking up a successful halves partnership with Johnson.
"He sort of plays the way Benji played and I feel like me and Benji had a pretty good combo," Brooks said.
"There's always going to be talk around this club but I'm obviously not too worried about that. I'm just focused on footy.
"A lot of people have opinions on it. I don't know, I guess I'd find out if I did change but for now I'm just worrying about playing footy for the Tigers and that's all I can do."
Brooks conceded he needed to start thinking about his future "soon" but wasn't overly concerned about the Tigers potentially deciding to move him on.
"We'll have to worry about it when it comes," he said.
"It would be nice to finish out my career here. It would mean lot. Obviously it doesn't happen too often but anything could happen in this day and age with footy but I'll see how I go.
"But if that doesn't work out, then so be it."
Ideally, Brooks would finish not only as a one-club player but also in the elite 300-game club.
"It would be pretty cool to play 300 games. There's not many who have been able to do that," he said.
Even if that meant reluctantly being feted like he will be at Leichhardt Oval on Saturday.
"I don't really like being in the limelight and I'd rather just lay low, but I guess when these milestones come up, you've got to celebrate them," Brooks said.
"But I reckon when I retire it's something I'll look back on and be proud of."
Wests Tigers Podcast - Talking everything Wests Tigers!
@helmesy starting to sound like he doesn’t have an offer on the table from the club. That’s the first I’ve heard him actually talk about moving on
@the-last-ronin brings pace good defence and a foil for a number 7 whether that be townsend Johnson sezer Hunt or whoever. If you have a good 7 partnering him, defences have two targets they have to worry about. At present defences don't have to worry about wakeham he offers nothing all the attack comes off Brooks so rush up on him is all they need to do. Secondly at the price point you.will be able to get Brooks at it represents value.
Again if Douihie was fit I would say maybe you let Brooks go but with no Douihie not many 6's out there possibly Schuster but geez a big risk especially at present he can't get it done next to DCE and a backline of turbo Garrick etc I have concerns re Schuster at 6 .
Even if he gets 1 year and they reassess for 2025 perhaps more options available but at present options are pretty thin so he gets an extension by default.
My preferred option would be
7. Hunt 6. Brooks but doubt St Merge release Hunt and if they do he probably ends up at chooks or dogs. That combo with our pack probably gets us into semis maybe top 6
Second option would be 7. Townsend 6. Brooks,
Third option 7. Johnson 6. Brooks
Most likely options in the market is either an off contract Sezer at 7 or you go untried like Hawkins at 7. don't forget Kyle Flannagan is available don't think we would go there but never know.
@jedi-tiger I can see what you’re saying about pace - yes that’s a positive. His defence is solid but he’s a half so I don’t see that as a selling point personally. I don’t see him as much as a foil - yes he offers more than Wakeham but he wouldn’t take much pressure off as he isn’t dangerous regularly enough to be a threat.
If we are starting to use price point as a positive we may as well go with an up and comer who has more long term potential.
as you said a year to year contract until something better comes. If we are thinking like that what’s the point?
@the-last-ronin when the prime attribute of a half is his defence it’s time to let go.
@the-last-ronin we will sign Brooks for 500k or so for 2 years or you buy and up and coming half for 250k or so. The club knows they get an experienced nrl player at good cap value and they could do what they did with AD just extend for one year. No point buying an up and coming player when they have Large probably waiting anyway for 2025.
Always a Kyle Flanagan as an option, some fans on here would prefer anybody but luke, so who knows Kyle might be an option.
@the-last-ronin if the club is smart they don't make an offer to last few weeks of this season. The lure of a one club player means a lot to him from the people I speak to and he loves Sheens. At present apparently he is not keen at all on SL.
@the-last-ronin we will sign Brooks for 500k or so for 2 years or you buy and up and coming half for 250k or so. The club knows they get an experienced nrl player at good cap value and they could do what they did with AD just extend for one year. No point buying an up and coming player when they have Large probably waiting anyway for 2025.
Always a Kyle Flanagan as an option, some fans on here would prefer anybody but luke, so who knows Kyle might be an option.
No "up and coming" young half is coming to the Tigers fro $250K. We had to pay more than that for Stef. A Hawkins type is going to cost at least $500k, Trindall more. Maybe Sanders you get for $250...maybe but he is an untested kid and will be at least 2 years away.
https://twitter.com/danny_weidler/status/1658612336566091776?s=46&t=QGqJWw7YTtGsO4yPucwDWQ
Hope this is not true....unless they give us Moses.
Unpopular opinion but i'm not that opposed to him going if he wants to go. I think he's been our most disappointing forward this year (he was our best last year) and we have a lot of young players ready to go. @Garry tells me the Eels young halfback Ethan Sanders goes well. A swap would make sense to me.
Unpopular opinion but i'm not that opposed to him going if he wants to go. I think he's been our most disappointing forward this year (he was our best last year) and we have a lot of young players ready to go. @Garry tells me the Eels young halfback Ethan Sanders goes well. A swap would make sense to me.
I dont think your opinion is unfounded. I think he had his best games last two weeks when there was a little bit of self belief back in the team, but he is struggling to make an impact.
