The much-maligned No.7 rang Benji Marshall personally to deliver the news as a Tigers official stressed the door isn’t closed on negotiations being started up again.
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Several clubs have already distanced themselves from making a move for Luke Brooks after the Wests Tigers playmaker’s surprise decision to test his worth on the open market.
Brooks
told Tigers assistant coach Benji Marshall on Sunday he would pass on the club’s offer of a three-year contract extension and would probably be leaving his childhood club at the end of the year after 11 seasons.
Brooks’ decision led to talk that he was on Manly’s radar to play as a five-eighth alongside Daly Cherry-Evans, with Sea Eagles No.6 Josh Schuster rumoured to be going in the opposite direction to the Tigers. However, sources at the Tigers, speaking anonymously, said the club was not interested in Schuster, whose management has valued his services at more than $1 million a season.
Sources at Newcastle, who have in the past been linked with Brooks, said they were no longer interested in the player, while Canberra, who need a five-eighth to replace the South Sydney-bound Jack Wighton, said they were not looking at him. North Queensland sources, also speaking anonymously, dismissed suggestions Brooks could be heading to Townsville as part of a swap deal with Chad Townsend.
Canterbury also need a playmaker, but they already have Matt Burton and highly rated youngster Karl Oloapu.
Brooks’ desire to leave will hardly come as a surprise in light of some recent comments. On the night he was given a standing ovation in his 200th game at Leichhardt Oval, against the Cowboys, this masthead asked Brooks if he wanted to be at the club next year, to which he replied:
“Honestly, I don’t know.”
There are suggestions Brooks’s decision could be a strategy by his management to extract an improved offer from the club, much as happened with Mitchell Moses at Parramatta.
The Tigers will be without Brooks for up to six weeks as he nurses a hamstring injury, with right centre Starford To’a training in the halves on Monday.
Daine Laurie is the preferred No.6 option, but he was knocked out playing reserve grade on Sunday and will need to pass concussion protocols in time for Saturday’s match against Melbourne Campbelltown Sports Stadium.
To’a said Sheens had floated the idea of him training at five-eighth next pre-season, which was later on Monday confirmed by the coach himself.
The Tigers will also need to get by without Origin hooker Api Koroisau, who will be sidelined up to two months with a broken jaw.
“‘Sheensy’ pulled me in a couple of weeks ago about getting a pre-season there next year, and I’ve been thinking about that lately,” said To’a, who has been excellent at right centre, and even got one over Queensland representative Valentine Holmes last month.
“He said because I can also play fullback, it’s pretty much the same as playing at No.6. I like getting my hands on the ball more, so we’ll see what happens.”
As for the Brooks news, To’a said: “Nothing was mentioned by him. I’d love to see him stay and finish his career here. But things don’t always go your way. And if he needs a fresh start, that’s what he needs. He’s got to do what makes him happy.”
Boom rookie fullback Jahream Bula did not train on Monday, but was being rested and is not in doubt for Saturday.
