Luke Brooks #167

He is a lock into our halves and a key member of our spine. I'm so glad Sheens is coaching the team rather than the some of the peeps on this forum who can't recognize when someone is playing well.

He wasn't just good though. He was really really really good.

We need to get him a decent halves partner. I'd love us to get Jake Arthur.
Totally agree, as easy as it is sometimes to criticise Brooks, he has been poorly coached since Cleary left. Madge only understood five hit ups and bomb, Sheens understands how to attack and this side is slowly getting it together, after three years of no real attack it was never going to happen over night.
 
I think you're missing the point. Half a game means very little in the greater context of a large number of losses in a row.
Perhaps you should analyse your own attachments to ideas. Rewatch some of his other games where he gets it wrong countless times- might take a year or two though. 🙂

I'm not missing the point at all.

He cops it way too harshly. He has actually been good this year. I'll give an example. The game he stuffed up recently where he made 2 mistakes when we were on the attack. I watched the Broncos play after that and Reynolds stuffed up twice ala Brooks. It happens all the time.

His first game back he had some shockers when we were on the attack but all halves do. I'd go so far to say all players do. He has had like 2 poor 20 minute periods this season and that was really only when we are on the attack.

I have stated multiple times he isn't a ball player in the attacking zone and despite that he was clearly our best half. Yesterday he pulls out some great ball playing.

It's exactly as Sheens stated when he said everyone is looking for him to score 5 tries and win us the game.

You want proof - he killed them yesterday and he is still copping it. It's stupidity at an extreme level.

I can't be bothered re-watching every game of his career. All I know is this year he is doing his job and doing it pretty well.
 
I'm not missing the point at all.

He cops it way too harshly. He has actually been good this year. I'll give an example. The game he stuffed up recently where he made 2 mistakes when we were on the attack. I watched the Broncos play after that and Reynolds stuffed up twice ala Brooks. It happens all the time.

His first game back he had some shockers when we were on the attack but all halves do. I'd go so far to say all players do. He has had like 2 poor 20 minute periods this season and that was really only when we are on the attack.

I have stated multiple times he isn't a ball player in the attacking zone and despite that he was clearly our best half. Yesterday he pulls out some great ball playing.

It's exactly as Sheens stated when he said everyone is looking for him to score 5 tries and win us the game.

You want proof - he killed them yesterday and he is still copping it. It's stupidity at an extreme level.

I can't be bothered re-watching every game of his career. All I know is this year he is doing his job and doing it pretty well.
I beg to differ. We have differing viewpoints. Let's leave it at that. One of us will realise the error of their ways eventually.
 
Totally agree, as easy as it is sometimes to criticise Brooks, he has been poorly coached since Cleary left. Madge only understood five hit ups and bomb, Sheens understands how to attack and this side is slowly getting it together, after three years of no real attack it was never going to happen over night.

I'm not the guy to blame Brooks performances on the team or the coaching staff. His performances are on him. You just need to watch him and not have expectations of him being Andrew Johns in peak form because he isn't that good.

He is massively overpaid this year.

He was still significantly better than Dylan Brown yesterday and he was pretty close to Moses performance. They are both on more dollars than Brooksy.

You make a great point though about this team having to develop. It sucks and we haven't had a win but there is some hope.

I don't get the focus on Brooks other than to state he was great yesterday.

We have some issues. Our middle forwards aren't doing that much. Sure they are getting us up the park along with our outside backs but they aren't making busts and running over the opposition and getting quick play the balls.

I was just stoked to see him play a really good game and the ball playing was unreal. That out ball to Kepaoa was class. That pass that started the Naden try was class.
 
Totally agree, as easy as it is sometimes to criticise Brooks, he has been poorly coached since Cleary left. Madge only understood five hit ups and bomb, Sheens understands how to attack and this side is slowly getting it together, after three years of no real attack it was never going to happen over night.
After this long in the game Brooks has to be capable of instinctively being able to read what's happening in the game and make the most of opportunities - other wise he is of no use to us if we want to win. A coach can't teach that nor can any coach be blamed for Brooks decision making during the battle.
Moses showed what a good half does with limited opportunity and schooled us and set the Eels up to win..
 
A coach can't teach that nor can any coach be blamed for Brooks decision making during the battle.

The coach can be blamed if they keep picking him in first grade despite having a decade of data to show them he makes poor decisions (or poorly executes) during the battle
 
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Totally agree, as easy as it is sometimes to criticise Brooks, he has been poorly coached since Cleary left. Madge only understood five hit ups and bomb, Sheens understands how to attack and this side is slowly getting it together, after three years of no real attack it was never going to happen over night.
I have to be totally honest with all of you guys and admit I have bagged Luke on many occasions through frustration,however I have also given him credit where its due and part of that credit goes to him on improving his defense as well as his running game....Having said that I want to be specific here in regards to Madge and his coaching...We for so long were known as a razzle dazzle throw the ball around and score more points than the opposition which in turn our defense was at times atrocious...Madge with the 5 hit ups and a bomb tried to strengthen the defensive side of the team,most clubs do it if you watch closely...Sheens is going back to the razzle dazzle BUT also the team has been pretty good in the defense department...Once this team gets on the same page they will win many games,its a matter of all the pieces fitting in place...Brooks will become better,the backs will become better and the overall hardship we all have gone through with start to subside..
It will take time because we have hard NRL recruits mixed with inexperienced youth all trying to do the best they can and sometimes panic and errors come in to play,its a learning curve for the WHOLE team...stay strong brothers and sisters,I cant wait until we play our next game,the team showed glimpses of brilliance yesterday and some resolve...hang in there guys....
 
You have no idea at all. None.


Watch and weep. Brooksy is leaving the ladies weeping.

Our forwards haven't even been great. Our middles aren't making busts. IP has been good but not making busts. Bateman has been great.

Brooksy has had a couple of periods of incompetence but no more than any half in the comp. He isn't the problem and on that performance he is part of the solution.

Brooksy !

Just watched those highlights in Singapore for my first view of the match, and based on them we went well, with fullback being our big let down.

Apart from all the tries scored from grubbers, the lack of spacial awareness from the drop out is what almost certainly cost WT their first win of the season.

We would have most of the forum waxing lyrical on Hastings for weeks if he had contributed even half of what Brooks did in those. Perspective.
 
The can be blamed if they keep picking him in first grade despite having a decade of data to show them he makes poor decisions (or poorly executes) during the battle
Brooks has outlasted every coach he has had at this club. If Sheens wants to roll the dice again then you live by the sword.
 
Just watched those highlights in Singapore for my first view of the match, and based on them we went well, with fullback being our big let down.

Apart from all the tries scored from grubbers, the lack of spacial awareness from the drop out is what almost certainly cost WT their first win of the season.

We would have most of the forum waxing lyrical on Hastings for weeks if he had contributed even half of what Brooks did in those. Perspective.
Our fullback made an error that most players can make in the heat of the moment....Stains was one of our best yesterday and will get better ...
 
Just watched those highlights in Singapore for my first view of the match, and based on them we went well, with fullback being our big let down.

Apart from all the tries scored from grubbers, the lack of spacial awareness from the drop out is what almost certainly cost WT their first win of the season.

We would have most of the forum waxing lyrical on Hastings for weeks if he had contributed even half of what Brooks did in those. Perspective.

That just goes to show that watching highlights does not give you a real feel for the game because without Staines efforts in the game we would not have made a comeback.Staines and Tupou were our best players yesterday with Api just behind them
 
You have no idea at all. None.


Watch and weep. Brooksy is leaving the ladies weeping.

Our forwards haven't even been great. Our middles aren't making busts. IP has been good but not making busts. Bateman has been great.

Brooksy has had a couple of periods of incompetence but no more than any half in the comp. He isn't the problem and on that performance he is part of the solution.

Brooksy !
this guys biggest problem is the forward pack when we had 57% possession and still managed to lose. go figure. there are clowns like you on making decisions for recruitment, its like some weird brooks virus
 
Brooks needs to be the 6 for the year.

We need a 7 and wakeham is not the answer neither is will Smith.

Sheens Get on the phone to SL and get Sezer for this year, he can play 7 Brooks at 6 we have a spot open with Ken M moving.

we can all want Williams or Dodd but they will not be released by SL clubs for 2023 let alone 2024.
 
He got some decent second phase opportunities this week and I thought he looked pretty good, definitely his best game of the season.
There's still a lot of work to be done in getting combos right, really doesn't help losing Adam, but if Luke can start gelling a bit more with IP and getting in position to take offloads through the line we'll start looking a heap better.
Here's hoping that bringing in Wakeham improves our short kicking options a bit.
 
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