The reason why Brooks gets compared to those guys is because our dopey organisation gave him elite halfback money and went all in on him as the no.1 option.
If he's getting 1 million a year and we've committed the success our team to his performance, why would we compare him to guys on like 200k who are in and out of first grade?
He's played the most games ever of someone not to make the finals and the most important position on the field. He's got a career winning percentage of less than 40%. He's not a floor raiser and he doesn't make players around him any better. Someone on his pay packet with his responsibilities has to be able to do that.
He cannot organise. He cannot create overlaps, nor when we infrequently have one, capitalise on it. Doesn't have a smart kicking game, rarely puts players through holes. Doesn't talk on the field and offers no leadership whatsoever. We now have 10 years of evidence of this.
Occasionally he'll make a bust in the open field or will score a try in support play. That's not what a 6 or a 7 does, that's what you get a number 14 to do for like 30 minutes a game. He's also a decent defender ... which is a bonus, but not really important for a halfback.
Paying him $300k a year to play as a 6 outside of a dominant halfback with a good 1 and 9 could in theory work. He'd have no responsibilities except running, the occasional kick and trying to pass it along to his outside men. Anything more thus far has been a proven failure.
He's really only created one try this year and that was Staines' with a good break up the middle against tired forwards on a 35 degree day. One try in 3 games. We have made the 2nd most metres of any team and are in the top 5 of most tackles inside the opponent's 20. That is an absolutely miserable strike rate given the platform he has been laid. It's nothing surprising of course if you've watched him the past few years, but the apologists still come out and blame everyone else. Doueihi is now who's at fault, when Doueihi despite playing woefully has still created more this season (and mind you I'm no Doueihi defender and think we should move on from too).
If Brooks wants to hang around on a bit more than a min wage contract to play NSW Cup and maybe in 14 now and again, happy to keep him in future years. But expecting him to suddenly do a complete 180 as a person and player and be the guy to lead us to success when we've got 10 years of evidence to suggest it won't happen is the kind of thinking that suggests you should find another sport to watch.
If he's getting 1 million a year and we've committed the success our team to his performance, why would we compare him to guys on like 200k who are in and out of first grade?
He's played the most games ever of someone not to make the finals and the most important position on the field. He's got a career winning percentage of less than 40%. He's not a floor raiser and he doesn't make players around him any better. Someone on his pay packet with his responsibilities has to be able to do that.
He cannot organise. He cannot create overlaps, nor when we infrequently have one, capitalise on it. Doesn't have a smart kicking game, rarely puts players through holes. Doesn't talk on the field and offers no leadership whatsoever. We now have 10 years of evidence of this.
Occasionally he'll make a bust in the open field or will score a try in support play. That's not what a 6 or a 7 does, that's what you get a number 14 to do for like 30 minutes a game. He's also a decent defender ... which is a bonus, but not really important for a halfback.
Paying him $300k a year to play as a 6 outside of a dominant halfback with a good 1 and 9 could in theory work. He'd have no responsibilities except running, the occasional kick and trying to pass it along to his outside men. Anything more thus far has been a proven failure.
He's really only created one try this year and that was Staines' with a good break up the middle against tired forwards on a 35 degree day. One try in 3 games. We have made the 2nd most metres of any team and are in the top 5 of most tackles inside the opponent's 20. That is an absolutely miserable strike rate given the platform he has been laid. It's nothing surprising of course if you've watched him the past few years, but the apologists still come out and blame everyone else. Doueihi is now who's at fault, when Doueihi despite playing woefully has still created more this season (and mind you I'm no Doueihi defender and think we should move on from too).
If Brooks wants to hang around on a bit more than a min wage contract to play NSW Cup and maybe in 14 now and again, happy to keep him in future years. But expecting him to suddenly do a complete 180 as a person and player and be the guy to lead us to success when we've got 10 years of evidence to suggest it won't happen is the kind of thinking that suggests you should find another sport to watch.
