Luke Brooks #167

twentyforty said:
This is Luke's year. He's playing for a contract. If Hunt can turn it around then surely Brooksy can. Finally got a very good DH and a couple of forwards who will find the ground, and tackle like demons.
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Hunt was always an intelligent footy player though, that's why he could turn it around. Plus even when out of form Hunt still talked and directed his team. Brooks is just too low IQ to ever change and we're completely rudderless as a playing group because as halfback he doesn't do his job
 
Earl said:
I don't think he can handle that role. I think he is a running 6 and I think that is where they played him most of last season.

All of those players you mention have a player outside them playing second fiddle. I think that is Brooks role.
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If Brooks gets paid 600k and plays 2nd fiddle to.moses I'm ok with it.
 
Earl said:
I don't think he can handle that role. I think he is a running 6 and I think that is where they played him most of last season.

All of those players you mention have a player outside them playing second fiddle. I think that is Brooks role.
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Well he can't be paid those big dollars then.
 
Cobarcats said:
If he cant direct the side he goes then, because the ½ back touches the ball more than anyone in attack. He has to have a voice, what's the point otherwise.
Your alluding to not putting unnecessary pressure on him by saying "own the side"
He has to though. Every successful team does this....Nathan Clearey, Mitch Moses, DCE, etc.
How can a traffic cop not own the traffic. caos.
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This is it the best teams have dominant halves. What Chad Townsend added to the Cowboys this year changed their fortunes. Not considered in the top halves but showed the difference a skilled accomplished half can do for a side.
 
Telltails said:
This is it the best teams have dominant halves. What Chad Townsend added to the Cowboys this year changed their fortunes. Not considered in the top halves but showed the difference a skilled accomplished half can do for a side.
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The annoying thing is I've seen him have a classic ½backs game and played awesome. I think Ivan (I wont say his last name in case it starts a war) had Brooks playing better than with Madge. I think a coach can make a difference.
 
Cobarcats said:
The annoying thing is I've seen him have a classic ½backs game and played awesome. I think Ivan (I wont say his last name in case it starts a war) had Brooks playing better than with Madge. I think a coach can make a difference.
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Not so convinced. I think what you see now is what you get with Brooks. The team around him might help improve our chances, but he will always carry the burden of losses - rightly or wrongly- at this club and why I believe WTs and Brooks both needed a fresh start. If Sheens can turn all that around - all cudos to him.
 
Brooks is the challenge for our coaching staff.
We’ve all seen his skill first hand, we know what he is capable of.
I’m not privy to discussions during training or instructions given to Brooks prior to and on game day, but he appears to be the guy who will do what’s asked of him. But what you all know is that when a player is micro managed and not given a wide scope, some dumb obedience will inevitably result. This is why the challenge is more on the coaching staff than the player.
There has been enough sackings for a development club, it’s now time to start developing a team.
 
Lebanese_Coach_aspiration said:
Then why did they deny Josh Jackson and Chris Lawrence when they planned this?
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What are you talking about. That’s exactly what they did for Chris Lawrence. Dunno about Jackson, maybe he didn’t agree with the plan. Again you cannot backend contracts anymore. You can frontend them or spread the payments over the life of the contract. During the contact period you can upgrade/extend a contact with higher or lower amounts as long as both parties agree to it. Again I repeat the only thing you cannot do is backend a contract ie pay small amounts of the entire contract for the first few years making up the difference in the latter years, that is not allowed by the NRL. That’s how clubs used to stuff up the cap and get themselves into financial trouble.
 
mike said:
What are you talking about. That’s exactly what they did for Chris Lawrence. Dunno about Jackson, maybe he didn’t agree with the plan. Again you cannot backend contracts anymore. You can frontend them or spread the payments over the life of the contract. During the contact period you can upgrade/extend a contact with higher or lower amounts as long as both parties agree to it. Again I repeat the only thing you cannot do is backend a contract ie pay small amounts of the entire contract for the first few years making up the difference in the latter years, that is not allowed by the NRL. That’s how clubs used to stuff up the cap and get themselves into financial trouble.
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You can frontload contract but you cant extend and change contracts to spread it out. Two different things. I think they changed it after Chris if i rememered wrong.
 
Lebanese_Coach_aspiration said:
You can frontload contract but you cant extend and change contracts to spread it out. Two different things. I think they changed it after Chris if i rememered wrong.
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Yes you can. That’s what every contract update entails. They will be doing something similar for Brooks if he agrees.

Edit: The NRL has a value on what each player is worth. You cannot grossly undervalue a player. Both the NRL and the Players Association won’t allow it.
 
the difference in Brooks' games under Cleary and then Madge were stark. under Cleary his ability to build pressure, take the line on at the right time and throw the right pass was excellent. under Madge that died.

I have firmly believed that Brooksy should've left for his own good a long time ago, but it's clear he will be here for the long haul. for that reason it's best we back him. new coach and two assistants that played with him when he was at his best should see him have an improved season. Moses (hopefully) beside him in '24 should see him perform even better.
 
I'm not sure what we will see from Luke this year (though I highly doubt he could have a worse year than this year).
But what I would like to see is him playing with some width from the ruck, either with him at 6 or as a 7 getting service from a ball playing 13.
His last tackle options last year were woeful, be it coaching, low confidence, or otherwise. Brooks looked rushed, hesitant and at times confused when he got the ball and was asked to make something happen.
His best moments last year came when he was wider of the ruck, or taking advantage of an overlap.
His short kicking game has almost disappeared, but there was a comment from one of the pundits (might have been Cronk, can't recall) that all halfbacks are struggling to put through effective grubbers because of modern defensive structures, and that 5/8th, 2RW and Centres are required to put in attacking kicks more because that's where the space is.
Anyway just how I see things, LB could play prop, as long as we win games I'll be happy.
 
Demps said:
I doubt it.

Would be a redemption story if anything.

I, for one... am willing to wipe that slate clean and see how he goes with the 2023 pack.

(Potential...)
... signing Moses though.
That's something I could see being a whole other piece of the puzzle to unlocking something we haven't quite seen from Brooks.

Keeping my thoughts on that quiet for now though because there's no guarantee we get Moses, even though I would LOVE that... another redemption story.
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Say we sign him on 1.3 million and the Tigers forward pack never really gets to the level of the top sides, Api doesn’t work out and we continue to lose more than we win and run 11th or 12th. How do you think Moses game will be assessed? He’ll be the new imp.
 
Telltails said:
This is it the best teams have dominant halves. What Chad Townsend added to the Cowboys this year changed their fortunes. Not considered in the top halves but showed the difference a skilled accomplished half can do for a side.
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I’d argue they have generational talent coming through in the backrow along with a damaging middle in Taumololo. You see that at Wests?
 
BAGNF05 said:
Great. Sheens just sacked 14 of his teammates and the rep selectors aren’t knocking our door down. But you and Tucker know what you’re on about 😂
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Well I’ve watched football for 60 years (yep getting old and cranky) and appreciated good players from all teams and game changers. Brooks has not shown me he is the 7 to lead the tigers to success. Just my opinion, I want the tigers to be great, I just don’t see Brooks stepping up to drive that future.
 
batboy said:
Hard to say with the side no one wants to own we've had the last few years....
Interesting year ahead for many reasons
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Exactly. People are just getting caught up in commentators buzz words. Ownership, direction, game management. We had a bloke in our team last year who didn’t know where to stand off a goal line drop out. Who wants to own or direct that! It’s not the halfback.
 
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