Brooks

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Brooks has had a great season but he had an off one last night.
No excuses or blaming anymore players he is experienced enough now to own an ordinary performance without transferring blame.
 
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Has trouble reading a game and making decisions based on that.
His kick that went dead in goal late in the game today to give Manly a 7 tackle set is a perfect example.

6 inches the other way it would have been lauded as good game management. It's not like he hoofed it to Appin. That happens in footy.

I don't agree - he went for too much. Why kick it 6 inches dead when you can put it into touch 10m short of the try line for the desired result? Lack of execution on the critical plays has often been a Tigers weakness - giving Soward the FG in 2010, kick on full and bomb defusal vs Warriors 2011, failing to dive on the scrum footy vs Roosters 2010 etc.

Look at the end of the match - Liddle took the final 5th tackle for a dart and intentionally gave the ball back to Manly 5m out from their line. DCE took a penalty kick from 45 m out and 30m across. If that was a 7-tackle set, or if Liddle had been tackled 10m out we would have been looking at extra time. He didn't overplay his hand or go for too much. Now Liddle is no benchmark of consistency, but you are better off going for a fair bit less than a little too much.

Exactly right. Metres gained don't matter at that point. Just drill it over the sideline. No need to even go close to the in goal.
 
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Has trouble reading a game and making decisions based on that.
His kick that went dead in goal late in the game today to give Manly a 7 tackle set is a perfect example.

6 inches the other way it would have been lauded as good game management. It's not like he hoofed it to Appin. That happens in footy.

I don't agree - he went for too much. Why kick it 6 inches dead when you can put it into touch 10m short of the try line for the desired result? Lack of execution on the critical plays has often been a Tigers weakness - giving Soward the FG in 2010, kick on full and bomb defusal vs Warriors 2011, failing to dive on the scrum footy vs Roosters 2010 etc.

Look at the end of the match - Liddle took the final 5th tackle for a dart and intentionally gave the ball back to Manly 5m out from their line. DCE took a penalty kick from 45 m out and 30m across. If that was a 7-tackle set, or if Liddle had been tackled 10m out we would have been looking at extra time. He didn't overplay his hand or go for too much. Now Liddle is no benchmark of consistency, but you are better off going for a fair bit less than a little too much.

Yeah fair call. He didn't smash it over the dead ball line though like some are making out ala Pita Godinet.

It was just a poor case of match awareness. Yardage didn't matter, we just needed the ball over the sideline.
 
I think Drinkwater controls a game really well. He has a very good kicking game and is an awesome goal kicker.
As to your question. He's just a very different type of player. I'm not sure it would work - just a suggestion.
 
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I think Drinkwater controls a game really well. He has a very good kicking game and is an awesome goal kicker.
As to your question. He's just a very different type of player. I'm not sure it would work - just a suggestion.

Cool.
 
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Perhaps Drinkwater at 1/2 and Brooks 5/8 might work if Cleary stays put at Penrith.

One of the better suggestions I’ve read here. I actually thought Drinkwater might have filled in at hooker when we struggling.
 
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Dare I say it, he was going exceptionally well until…......

(Cue BBF).....

A few weeks back he was given tons of ball, probably when Marshall was injured, and he could not do a successful grubber if the season's finals depended on it. With Farah the score is 4/7 I believe (and Farah was let down in the Titan's game) if we had 4/7 for the whole season we would be in the finals.
 
Really went to water once Farah and Marshall were both in the team. he needs to step up his mentality and be the number one play maker in a team.

At this stage we might as well start looking for a long term replacement.
 
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Really went to water once Farah and Marshall were both in the team. he needs to step up his mentality and be the number one play maker in a team.

At this stage we might as well start looking for a long term replacement.

I’ve been saying it for ages, it’s his personality. The guy is scared of his own shadow, as I’m sure a lot of players are very shy away from the game. But when they cross the white line, the killer instinct takes affect. With Brooks, it doesn’t.
 
Even the best halfbacks have mistakes in them. Brooks will and has delivered this year. His D is above average for a small bloke. Running game just keeps getting better. When he does get full control of his team he will shine. No disrespect to Benji or Robbie but they do take away from his game. I'll have them both back next year aslong as they both realise that it is Brooks' team now and let him take control coz i believe he has it in him.
 
I don't believe it's Brooks team but I believe that he is the focal point of most of the good attack that we do. His defence has been pretty good this year as well.

I hope we sign him up on a long term contract and then look to upgrade some other key positions. We should build the spine around him and Mbye.
 
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Has trouble reading a game and making decisions based on that.
His kick that went dead in goal late in the game today to give Manly a 7 tackle set is a perfect example.

6 inches the other way it would have been lauded as good game management. It's not like he hoofed it to Appin. That happens in footy.

He had a ordinary game last night, but it wasn't through lack of trying. And he had plenty of mates.

X2
 
From what I have seen from Brooks this year he has truly turned the corner. I expect him to be even better again next year.

Last year and years before he was a turnstyle, now he is almost a hitman in defense, consistently putting big forwards on their back one on one. His tackling has gone to another level. While his missed tackle count is still high, his clutch tackles are very good.

He plays with competitiveness. In the past I haven't seen Brooks get mad on the field but several times this year he has slammed the ball in disgust or pulled up a teammate for doing something silly. This is a critical feature in a playmaking halfback.

He takes the line on way more. If he had more threatening options outside him he'd make a lot more linebreaks. He gets half through a hole but his outside options don't attract defenders. If he had someone like TPJ or Kikau outside him it would be very hard for defenders to deal. Lawrence has found an extra gear this year which has been a major contributor for Brook's improvement but Lawrence alone isn't enough.

He is forcing a ton of line drop outs. This has been a huge turnaround in his game. He is actually getting the ball through legs and into the in goal.

For me, it seems like we have a very basic and boring attacking gameplan that looks nice when it works but the option players generally screw it up. Brooks's job is to just choose the first pass. To the fullback or to the forward laying the line. The problem is that it's the most common attacking gameplan in the NRL (Cowboys attack) and teams know how to defend it. We only score tries when the defense makes a mistake by either sliding off the backrower and opening a hole, sliding off Brooks himself who walks through or if the fullback (Mbye) is able to catch and pass insanely fast. It's low percentage football in the red zone. By running this play we would score less frequently than the Warriors would be just putting up a bomb to Fusitua or Maumalo. Need a new gameplan. Our defense is mostly fine except for how weak we are to big and skillful throw it around teams (Warriors, Raiders etc.).
 
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Really went to water once Farah and Marshall were both in the team. he needs to step up his mentality and be the number one play maker in a team.

At this stage we might as well start looking for a long term replacement.

I’ve been saying it for ages, it’s his personality. The guy is scared of his own shadow, as I’m sure a lot of players are very shy away from the game. But when they cross the white line, the killer instinct takes affect. With Brooks, it doesn’t.

Yep, its true.

He is taking small steps and improving slowly thats for sure, but we need more.

This is why you finish 9th.
 
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