Brooks under pressure

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Hahaha you give it to Brooks and then endorse Mbye at halfback. If he was such a good halfback, why is he now a fullback?
 
If you ever watched Mbye at halfback at the dogs you should understand why he was moved to full back.He was very poor, your disliking of Brooks completely clouds your judgement
 
@jadtiger and @GNR4LIFE

I agree it’s not ideal and I would absolutely rather have Mbye at fullback.
I just think that at the very least Brooks needs a stint in reserves to reignite some creative spark and self-belief.
The question was posed who would you have in his place at halfback…not easy to answer. As a stop gap I suggest Mbye.
Firstly, he can be no worse than Brooks.
Secondly, he has experience there, taking a team to finals two out of three years.
Canterbury realised they had a real talent so despite his ordinary third year they shifted him.

It’s bit ironic; Canterbury are in the finals for years in a row (one gf) and one bad year they react immediately by shifting Mbye.
And here we are...

Anyway, Mbye to 7 was just a suggestion. I’m not married to the idea. I’m open to anything. We should all be.
 
@bigsiro said:
@jadtiger and @GNR4LIFE

I agree it’s not ideal and I would absolutely rather have Mbye at fullback.
I just think that at the very least Brooks needs a stint in reserves to reignite some creative spark and self-belief.
The question was posed who would you have in his place at halfback…not easy to answer. As a stop gap I suggest Mbye.
Firstly, he can be no worse than Brooks.
Secondly, he has experience there, taking a team to finals two out of three years.
Canterbury realised they had a real talent so despite his ordinary third year they shifted him.

It’s bit ironic; Canterbury are in the finals for years in a row (one gf) and one bad year they react immediately by shifting Mbye.
And here we are...

Anyway, Mbye to 7 was just a suggestion. I’m not married to the idea. I’m open to anything. We should all be.
Click to expand...

Mbye is a running 6 or fullback. The Dogs made the finals every year as they had a great squad Klemmer, Kasiano, Graham, Eastwood, Morris Bros, Tim Lafai, Pritchard, Josh Jackson, Finucane, Barba, Enid, Reynolds: they were closer to their prime. Keeping this squad has hurt them now by back ending a few but Mbye at half wasn’t the catalyst they made the GF with Hodkinson at halfback I believe.

I’d stick with Brooks we don’t have a better option on the roster. We have too many running players and no organisers Brooks, Reynolds, Moses all run the ball as their strength.
 
That could well be the answer for Brooks. Let Reynolds go half (i.e. first ball off the scrum/dummy) and Brooks be the next receiver.
 
It wasn't Benji's fault at all. There were a tonne of mistakes made and Brooks and Marsters were the worst offenders.

The forwards were good though.
 
I'm sure Moses' team mates really appreciated the dummy spits and finger pointing from 2018 matches.

We can do without the name calling also thanks.
 
One point from the press conference, Madge said through the week he encouraged Brooks to run more as that is when he plays his best football.
Long term we are going to need to find or develop an organising half to partner him as it's not his strength.
 
What a howler.
I gave him a good rap for the Broncos game but even then it was only a better game - not a great game by any stretch. We are now 6 weeks in to another season. Another season where fans said "give him **another** chance". Are we really going to throw away another year? Pandering to this baseless belief that he is a first grade 7?
After 5 long and painful years I just cannot believe our own fans call for more patience or dare chastise other fans for not sticking by "loyal" players. What a joke! It is time to move on!
Replace him, I don't care who with. He stifles the play so much that I'd rather play without a 7 than with him there, but please for the love of Tigers please spare us another year of "unfulfilled potential".
It is the most remarkable, ironic thing: Brooks' reputation is what keeps him in first grade, but what exactly in his legacy so far makes for this utterly baseless yet resolute conviction in him? He has a terrible record and has always been incredibly inconsistent! I am baffled!!

Let's spell this out clearly: even a poor judge of NRL can see that Brooks is well out of his league. And if you aren't convinced, look back at the last 5 years: evidence enough that he simply does not have it in him.
A vote for continuing with Brooks is either an admission that (a) you want our team to fail *or* (b) you are Luke Brooks/his family.

*Why am I going after Brooks?* Well, he is the halfback and supposed to be the lynchpin of all our attack. But no team can compete when your 7 is utterly inept. He is not the scapegoat here. Rather the opposite, many of the other players are made scapegoats for his ineptitude - Brooks is simply a main part of the real reason we suck.

TBH I would be happy if he was merely a competent 7 - there are many of these in the NRL. But Brooks actually stifles our attack. He can't kick effectively at all. He throws hospital passes and hard flat balls all the time!...and when was his last cut-out ball? His 5th tackle options are atrocious. He doesn't kick field goals (4 in 113 games). Won't take control in the crucial moments.
For those that say:
**"He runs at the line effectively**". So? That is only meant to be a diversionary tactic anyway! His playmaking is the thing! If you think he's that good a runner you'd stick him in the centres.
**"The forwards don't give him a platform"**. Geez...get some new material! This doesn't take away from his lack of skill as a halfback!
**"But his tackling is better than previous years"** Could it have gotten any worse? Crikey!

I honestly do not know what anyone sees in him. There is practically no redeeming feature about his halfback game.
If he were lining up to replace Robbie at hooker, or start playing as a 6, now that sounds like a solution of sorts. But he cannot play 7!

It used to be that if you criticized Brooks (in an honest manner) there was an army of fanboys who took it personally and in turn berated fans. But let's call it like it is now: the longer anyone goes on supporting or defending Brooks the less credence you can give any of their opinions and the more foolish they look.

Madge...if you keep Brooks at 7 he will kill your chances of doing anything great here. Face up to it, he is not Reynolds or Keary. Do something about it.
 
@bigsiro Sadly you are completely right, but also sadly nothing will be done about it. So brace yourself for more of the same for however long he is still contracted with us.

For some reason those in control, both past and present, can’t (or refuse to) see his immense weaknesses as a halfback and continue to put stock in him to lead this team around the paddock with no accountability for the inept performances... ever!
 
@bigsiro Alas, I think you're completely correct. I've nothing against Brooks but i think one can make a judgement call backed by all we ahve seen over the last few years- he is not, and never will be an organising halfback. He is a running player- which in many ways by role is not a halfback job. Try him at 5/8 or centre or even hooker (he is no lighter than Liddle) and get someone else to fill in at half and recruit a proper half in need be. Farah can and has played halfback- he has more organising skill in his little finger than Brooks has in his whole body.

We were all very quick to judge Morris at halfback a failure under Sheens and pillory Sheens and Morris, but Brooks has had best part of 5 years to get it right and just cant do it. Surely we can call time on this.

I'm not against Brooks and think he can still be a valuab le member of the team, just not at halfback.......
 
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