There is simply no workable solution to the spine issue which includes Luke Brooks next year because we can’t afford to pay him 1.1 million.
it will completely skew our salary cap and in all likelihood mean that we lose either Hastings or Douehi and seriously impact our ability to recruit for other areas of the team.
To be fair to him he’s done ok since moving to 6 but the money he’s on is just not sustainable.
Paying Luke Brooks $1.1m next year has no impact on our ability to retain Hastings and AD. We are also under the cap for this year, so I doubt it is going to effect our ability to recruit next season or for 2024.
Not sure how you reach that conclusion mate, we will need to upgrade Hastings for next year if we want to keep him and if we end up paying both our halves a million dollars each of course it will skew our salary cap and mean other areas of the team will be affected
if your AD or JH you are entitled to ask why you’re not earning the same money as Brooks.
Our salary cap may be under for next season but with Papali’i and Koroisau arriving on decent money will it still be under next year when we still need to recruit at least two second rowers and two front rowers and possibly a centre too.
We are reportedly 6-700k under the cap at this point plus whatever we freed up releasing Luch. If Brooks is on $1.1m now then you upgrade a couple of youngsters and use the remaining money to frontload AD and/or JH now. You could even pay some of Brooks "$1.1m" now leaving you room for your upgrade of AD and Hastings next year. If I was upgrading Hastings for next year, which I believe we should, I would be getting him close to $700k (he is reportedly on around $500k for next year already) then pushing him to around the $850 mark for 2024.
If I was handling it AD and Laurie would only be getting marginal increases for 2024 and if Brooks is offered a contract it would be around the $600k mark.
No matter what we do with Brooks next year, he is going to be costing us that $1.1m if the reported figures are true, so you need to find a work around and I don't think it is that hard to do with our current cap position.
In memory of Geoff Chisholm (1965-2022)
Pay brooks forward for next year with LL’s money and whatever room with have in the cap for 22 and then offload him to Newcastle for 23. He’s not the future and I have watched every coach in the last decade think they can “get brooksy firing” and has failed.
I wouldn't do that, as I don't think you move him and bring in a player at his ability level for less than what we are already paying him. I might change my mind on that if AD comes out and shows that he is the 6 a lot of people believe him to be. If he has had time to work on his deficiencies as a 6 and his partnership with Hastings works then I would be willing to let Brooks go. At this point I think our best 7 and 6 is a Hastings and Brooks combo.
In memory of Geoff Chisholm (1965-2022)
- @frullens I am really OVER the Brooks needs confidence .. how long as supporters do we have to endure this player after 150 + games and the rhetoric is he needs confidence.
My great hope is he finds another club and finally he can find that confidence to become the player that deserves the huge pay packet !
Put simply, Brooks has been our best option at 6 this year by a long stretch. Whether AD might be better, I guess we will know in time but the proof is on the field every time Madden comes on.
Madge was sacked because Sheens couldn't say he'd be our coach in 3 years time.
I think the decisions around the spine need to be made under the same criteria:
Will Hastings be our halfback in 3 years time - YES
Will Brooks be our 5/8th in 3 years time - ? (He'll be 30yo and likely to be doing what he's doing now)
Will AD be our 5/8th in 3 years time ?- (he's somewhere in the team, either centre or 6 and likely captain)
Will Laurie be our fullback in 3 years time - ? (Either need some real spark in our outside backs or replace Laurie with an x factor fullback)
Top 8 2023
Madge was sacked because Sheens couldn't say he'd be our coach in 3 years time.
I think the decisions around the spine need to be made under the same criteria:
Will Hastings be our halfback in 3 years time - YES
Will Brooks be our 5/8th in 3 years time - ? (He'll be 30yo and likely to be doing what he's doing now)
Will AD be our 5/8th in 3 years time ?- (he's somewhere in the team, either centre or 6 and likely captain)
Will Laurie be our fullback in 3 years time - ? (Either need some real spark in our outside backs or replace Laurie with an x factor fullback)
I don't see a halves pairing of Hastings and AD working out, but the decision needs to be made in the next 2 months.
The decision is exactly on who will be our spine in 3 years. As they aren't of contract for 18 months.
In memory of Geoff Chisholm (1965-2022)
Madge was sacked because Sheens couldn't say he'd be our coach in 3 years time.
I think the decisions around the spine need to be made under the same criteria:
Will Hastings be our halfback in 3 years time - YES
Will Brooks be our 5/8th in 3 years time - ? (He'll be 30yo and likely to be doing what he's doing now)
Will AD be our 5/8th in 3 years time ?- (he's somewhere in the team, either centre or 6 and likely captain)
Will Laurie be our fullback in 3 years time - ? (Either need some real spark in our outside backs or replace Laurie with an x factor fullback)
I don't see a halves pairing of Hastings and AD working out, but the decision needs to be made in the next 2 months.
The decision is exactly on who will be our spine in 3 years. As they aren't of contract for 18 months.
Why don't you see Hastings and AD as our halves?
Madge was sacked because Sheens couldn't say he'd be our coach in 3 years time.
I think the decisions around the spine need to be made under the same criteria:
Will Hastings be our halfback in 3 years time - YES
Will Brooks be our 5/8th in 3 years time - ? (He'll be 30yo and likely to be doing what he's doing now)
Will AD be our 5/8th in 3 years time ?- (he's somewhere in the team, either centre or 6 and likely captain)
Will Laurie be our fullback in 3 years time - ? (Either need some real spark in our outside backs or replace Laurie with an x factor fullback)
I don't see a halves pairing of Hastings and AD working out, but the decision needs to be made in the next 2 months.
The decision is exactly on who will be our spine in 3 years. As they aren't of contract for 18 months.
Why don't you see Hastings and AD as our halves?
If your not using the rest of the year to test combinations to inform the next 3-4 years then it's a complete waste of season
Once AD has had 3-4 runs I'd play Hastings/AD for real of year.
Brooks at 14
Top 8 2023
@frullens you don't play Brooks off bench
Douhie at centre or 13 or not in team
likewise Brooks at 6 or not in team, if he is on 850k to 1 million then he plays
@frullens you don't play Brooks off bench
Douhie at centre or 13 or not in team
likewise Brooks at 6 or not in team, if he is on 850k to 1 million then he plays
Just shop Brooks around. Should have been let go at the beginning of the year. No chance of achieving anything while he is in the squad. Overrated and overpaid. 1.5 good years out of eight or nine is just not acceptable.
@frullens you don't play Brooks off bench
Douhie at centre or 13 or not in team
likewise Brooks at 6 or not in team, if he is on 850k to 1 million then he plays
This club has a history of playing its highest paid players in reserve grade
Top 8 2023
@frullens you don't play Brooks off bench
Douhie at centre or 13 or not in team
likewise Brooks at 6 or not in team, if he is on 850k to 1 million then he plays
Just shop Brooks around. Should have been let go at the beginning of the year. No chance of achieving anything while he is in the squad. Overrated and overpaid. 1.5 good years out of eight or nine is just not acceptable.
I agree, it’s time to say goodbye.
Wests Tigers Podcast - Talking everything Wests Tigers!
Hastings/brooks experiment is over after today. I don’t know whether Hastings is throwing the games, injured or opposing teams have worked him out but he is a shadow of the player who started at 7 against the eels. It’s a massive problem because if he does want out it’s likely he will find another offer quite easily. Dark times ahead in tiger town.
Madge was sacked because Sheens couldn't say he'd be our coach in 3 years time.
I think the decisions around the spine need to be made under the same criteria:
Will Hastings be our halfback in 3 years time - YES
Will Brooks be our 5/8th in 3 years time - ? (He'll be 30yo and likely to be doing what he's doing now)
Will AD be our 5/8th in 3 years time ?- (he's somewhere in the team, either centre or 6 and likely captain)
Will Laurie be our fullback in 3 years time - ? (Either need some real spark in our outside backs or replace Laurie with an x factor fullback)
I think its a really good way to frame the question Frullens, but I think there is more to the question. I could see all 4 of them here in 3 years easily.....and we would still be bottom of the table.
I assume you mean still here in 3 years time in a successful team, in which case I genuinely cant say that about any of them. Hastings has been poor the last 3-4 weeks and seriously showing the truism of a half behind a beaten pack. Im a long time Brooks fan and IMO he is our most dangerous half, but I can also see it isnt working and there is still too much rust in his game that should be long gone.
AD is a mystery, big frame, no visible passing game, reasonable running game, good footy brain. Not going to turn us around. Agreed probably in the team but where is a mystery. IMO AD is unlikely to be a half in a successful WT team.
Laurie is the most likely IMO. Still a LOT to learn but Ive been impressed with him in the last few rounds. Prepared to do the tough stuff, defence has improved as has his timing and passing game.
After 11 years of dross and deteriorating, we are conditioned to think Hastings and AD are messiahs, but Im not seeing it. They are just better than what we have had.
Watching that game today I think is the end of the Ciraldo dream but he is exactly what we need.
Pay brooks forward for next year with LL’s money and whatever room with have in the cap for 22 and then offload him to Newcastle for 23. He’s not the future and I have watched every coach in the last decade think they can “get brooksy firing” and has failed.
I wouldn't do that, as I don't think you move him and bring in a player at his ability level for less than what we are already paying him. I might change my mind on that if AD comes out and shows that he is the 6 a lot of people believe him to be. If he has had time to work on his deficiencies as a 6 and his partnership with Hastings works then I would be willing to let Brooks go. At this point I think our best 7 and 6 is a Hastings and Brooks combo.
Ok I change my mind.
In memory of Geoff Chisholm (1965-2022)
Madge was sacked because Sheens couldn't say he'd be our coach in 3 years time.
I think the decisions around the spine need to be made under the same criteria:
Will Hastings be our halfback in 3 years time - YES
Will Brooks be our 5/8th in 3 years time - ? (He'll be 30yo and likely to be doing what he's doing now)
Will AD be our 5/8th in 3 years time ?- (he's somewhere in the team, either centre or 6 and likely captain)
Will Laurie be our fullback in 3 years time - ? (Either need some real spark in our outside backs or replace Laurie with an x factor fullback)
I don't see a halves pairing of Hastings and AD working out, but the decision needs to be made in the next 2 months.
The decision is exactly on who will be our spine in 3 years. As they aren't of contract for 18 months.
Why don't you see Hastings and AD as our halves?
I am not sure AD is a 6 at this point and I don't like their lack of speed so don't really see them working that well together but I would be finding out over the next month.
In memory of Geoff Chisholm (1965-2022)
