Dammit why isn't a 23 year-old footballer a proven leader of men? Should have already happened by now.
Honestly all this talk about Brooks being the leader, calling the shots etc. That's what I'd expect of blokes like Packer, Farah, Marshall, not a kid. Sure Brooks has been around a while but he's still a kid and being the halfback has all the pressure.
Nate Cleary certainly doesn't call all the shots when the game is on the line - he's able to rely on Maloney for that. And at club level, that partnership is breaking down recently, a couple of really ordinary losses for what was a table-topping side. Cleary is still also a kid.
We didn't lack for scoring opportunities on Sunday, we lacked for clinical finishing. It occurred across the park - Naiqama, Reynolds, Mbye, Farah, Brooks, Masters all making poor choices or fumbling with the try-line begging.
Brooks not cleared of criticism by any means, but I just don't support these threads where Brooks is having a pretty good season all over, but because the team has fallen down, it must be specifically someone's fault and here is the thread where we've identified an easy target.