‘Why would I listen to what they say?’ Brooks wants to be a Tiger for life
Embattled Tigers playmaker Luke Brooks has declared his desire to remain a one-club player after coach Michael Maguire moved the halfback to five-eighth for the Easter Monday clash with Parramatta.
Maguire and Brooks are the two figures under the most pressure at Wests Tigers as they seek their first win of the season, and the former has responded by shifting the latter out one position.
It’s a move Brooks and Maguire agreed would best allow recruit Jackson Hastings to run the team’s attack upon his return from suspension on Monday, as the Tigers desperately search for some spark.
Until Ken Maumalo - who has also been dropped - scored an intercept try against the Sharks, Maguire’s men went almost 200 minutes of football without crossing the line.
“For us to improve, we need to play a bit more footy,” Brooks said on Wednesday.
“I felt like on the weekend we weren’t playing enough footy, and not throwing enough at the Sharks. We became a bit predictable. We want to get back to what suits us and our style of play, and that’s playing a fair bit of footy.”
Brooks is far from the only problem at the Tigers, but his shift to No.6 leaves him staring down a scenario in which he won’t feature in the club’s best 17.
Adam Doueihi - arguably the Tigers’ best player - is expected to return from a knee injury halfway through the season.
While Daine Laurie has hardly set the world on fire at fullback and Doueihi could wear the No.1 jersey if Brooks’ form improves, his best position is five-eighth.
“I guess if it was to happen it would happen, but no,” Brooks said when asked if he had considered the possibility of being dropped.
Rather than worry about making the Tigers’ team upon Doueihi’s return, Brooks declared he would love to remain at the club and help turn around their torrid time at the bottom of the ladder.
The playmaker also denied he requested a release to the Knights during the summer.
“I’ve got this year and next to go at the Tigers. I’m committed, and anyone who knows me know that if I’m here I’m going to be fully committed,” he said.
“It would be great for me to do that, but it’s also a business. And it doesn’t happen very often.”
Together, Brooks and Maguire have become punching bags for the Tigers’ critics.
The 27-year-old has long steered well clear of social media, and has no time for any pundit in the media that hasn’t played the game at the highest level.
“I’m off all socials, and all that stuff. It’s hard to stay away from it in this day and age, but I do my best to not listen to any of it,” Brooks said.
“That’s their jobs, to sell newspapers and get TV ratings. And I guess if it’s on me, it’s going to be on me. It is what it is. It’s part of the game.
“I’ve learnt to not worry about it. A lot of people that are writing stuff, they’ve never played the game. They’re adding their two cents, but why would I listen to what they say?
“The only opinions that matter to me are the people at this club. That’s all that matters.”
One opinion Brooks values is Maguire’s, and the coach has asked the playmaker to run the football like he did against the Warriors three weeks ago, when he played his best match of the season to date.
That night, Brooks finished with 145m from his 20 runs.
“That’s something I’ll have to think about. Being a one-club player is a massive thing, and it’s pretty rare these days.
Brooks insists that was the start of his shift to second receiver, though 34m from five runs against the Sharks and 56m from 10 runs against the Titans suggest otherwise.
“That’s the thing Madge and I spoke about - getting what works for me [right and] playing my best footy. That’s running the ball. So, yeah, I guess that’s the thought behind it - get me running a bit more,” he said.
“It was a conversation we both agreed on. If it’s going to help our team, I’m all for it.
“It’s tough at the moment. We’re not getting the results, but everyone is still positive. I’m staying positive, and I’m just blocking out the outside noise.”
The embattled playmaker, who has no time for those who have “never played the game,” denies he asked the club for a release last summer.
www.smh.com.au
