Luke Brooks - Mega Thread

[pawsandclaws1]

Yeah well it’s no coincidence you had your pants down for the new coaching appointments as well.
You rate a bloke who hardly ever wins games of football?
Cool.

The team wins few games of football but if it makes you feel better blame it the results on one player.

You were taken in by the slogans about Maguire up until end of last season? That pretty much sums up your capacity.

 

[earl]

The anger and frustration comes with Brooks because he just doesn’t do enough.
He never leads the stats in any category.
Hastings and Doueihi both outplayed him and did some of his work for him.
His output never matches his salary and that makes him a target for criticism.

I feel the same way without the anger and frustration. I also don't care about his salary. It's all over the place, he consistently puts in like a terrier, he is consistently on the field and his next salary will represent market value. It's only more year to go.

I feel the same way about Brooks salary as about IP backflipping. It's meaningless noise.

 

[pawsandclaws1]

With Brooks this is always the case. That kick that was a good kick and Corey Parker said it was a bad kick shows how easily people have preconceived ideas.

In stating that I still think we are better off with Hastings at 7 and Doueihi at 6. Brooks can play utility.

That kick he put into the corner was good. He had two rookies outside of him which while they did not chase, Brooks would be prepared to cop the flak as he has demonstrated he is a team player on many occasions.

 

[Kelce68]

I love Brooksy.

But the best halfback at the club is Hastings.

The best five-eighth at the club is Doueihi.

So, off to Newcastle he goes.

 

[earl]

What exactly does he bring to the team?

He has good defense, a good kicking game (at least compared to Hastings and Doueihi) and he can create a try/line break.

The problem is as you state I think Hastings and Doueihi are both better players than him in the halves.

It's professional footy. I don't hate Brooks but if I'm picking the team Brooks doesn't make the run on team.

 

[earl]

While Brooks hasnt reached his potential yet, he is an important peice of the jigsaw that is slowly but surely coming together under Sheens. While all of us are frustrated with the lack of success in the past, I believe next year our commentary on Brooks will be whole lot different.

I agree with your post but not this point. I think Brooks has reached his potential. He is like 27 now. I just think Doueihi offers more at 6 and has more upside.

I think Doueihi's defense is trash. Sure he makes tackles when he makes the right decision but he makes some poor decisions and is out of position at times. He can work on that though.

 

[stryker 69]

You still havent addressed the real issue. Swap Brooks for Cleary. I'll guarantee you the resuslts would be the same if not worse. Not the only issue at WT but alot of people looking for scapegoat but not the facts.

How can you guarantee that?
Cleary is a better kicker, better defender, better ball player and has a bigger body which makes him very dangerous when running it close to the line.

 

[das tigers]

I'm sure he's a good bloke and all..
But I can't take anymore of the bloke in the team.

I'd hate to play with him being the half....Forwards or the backs...
If you're karting it up and your half is going to stuff every last play with a rubbish kick or run to
the line just to drop the short flat ball with the defence right on top of obvious
play.Everyone knows he's going to do it,switch the roles and you take the hit brooks.
Bet he would change that play if he was getting axed.

A good half should always try and get good ball to players in better positions than he's
in.Brooks protects himself first and runs players in terrible positions.

Never had a halfback that I wanted to get tackled on the 4th just
to him keep out of the last play.

Always heard about this running game he possesses....pfft either surrenders or it passed
to a player with no where to go.

Most unthreatening half in the comp. Kicks are like gifts to the opposition.

I'd love him to go to the storm just to see if bellamy and the storm system could get
through to this bloke.

Good luck Sheens and Benji reinventing him.

 

[stryker 69]

The team wins few games of football but if it makes you feel better blame it the results on one player.

You were taken in by the slogans about Maguire up until end of last season? That pretty much sums up your capacity.

I’ve already told you that’s not the case so quit the bullshit. I didnt rate Madge as a coach as far back as early 2020.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

How anyone can take this topic seriously is beyond me. I notice its finally starting to wear @Demps down, which even though it’s taken a while, it’s inevitable really. Like Wests v Balmain, and Farah v JT in the past, this topic beats you down and won’t let up until you tap out. It’s a beast that cannot be tamed.

I think he’s got just enough to make every incoming coach believe they can unlock him. And seems it’s happening again with Sheens and Benji. He’s got just enough ability to keep him in a gig, I.e, speed, defence, and the occasional big play in attack. But overall he’s lacking. And every coach believes they can be the one to get it out of him.

No one has to like the guy, and the fact he’s continuously backed by the club. But I implore everyone to see the reality, and that is stopping with claiming it’s the end of the road for him after every game, because it isn’t. In a way, the Brooks haters remind me a lot of the old Magpie fanatics. Either unable or unwilling to see the reality of the situation. Your fight isn’t with a couple plebs who give you an opposing view on here, it’s with the club.

 

[Telltails]

You still havent addressed the real issue. Swap Brooks for Cleary. I'll guarantee you the resuslts would be the same if not worse. Not the only issue at WT but alot of people looking for scapegoat but not the facts.

Brooks whole career at the club has been littered with scapegoats who effected his performance - gave him slow service, stifled his game, didn't allow him to play eyes up footy, didn't let him take control of the team, gave him nothing to play behind.. I don't hold him accountable for our position it's way bigger than him alone, but we set the trend early with the excuses for Brooks. At 27 and 8 seasons errors and bad performances are his to own and are fair game for criticism.

 

[jirskyr]

If Brooks had of had a go we may have won.
Dont get it twisted. Penrith were bloody aweful yesterday and most teams in the comp would have beaten them.

I disagree, they were far from awful. Penrith failed to capitalise effectively on their dominance, and they were the dominant side for, I'd say, 50-55 mins of the game. But their "lesser" halves took a number of bad options and Tigers were let out of jail a number of times.

Tigers only started to win the battle late in the match, but Penrith lifted like a champion side does.

I am fairly confident that Penrith side would have gone close enough to beating most of the Bottom 8 sides, especially when they could still rely on top-tier performers like Kikau and JFH.

Tigers also played OK, when the line-up is taken into consideration, and the recent form. Tigers took a long time to wrestle back control of the match, and even the try (+ disallowed) on half-time were an aberration for the general flow of the first half (in Penrith's favour).

Much like Panthers we lacked better execution for our opportunities. But unlike Panthers, we gifted a lot of opportunities to Penrith. Panthers still defended, ran and held the football quite well, and easily better than Tigers over the course of 80 mins. It was a no-frills affair from them, but it was highly competent.

 

[jirskyr]

Stats are great but the fact is if Doueihi hadn't done that dumb kick, we win the game. I know you continue to load this on Brooks but this is the reality. Cleary also targeted Doueihi on the right with the Panthers' attack.

Right but Doueihi scored a wonderful solo try and almost jagged another to AJ, which swung the momentum of the game.

You can't just single out one moment of the match against one player, if that same player also contributed personally to the success of the day.

Joe Offa missed the final tackle on JFH, but I am not going to be overly critical about the guy given he worked his arse off all match.

Brooks on the other hand, typically, was barely present and rarely a threat. Doueihi was an obvious threat, caused Penrith obvious problems. Tigers need threat, we can't continue to have blokes like Brooks, Garner, Kelma, AJ Kepaoa, Musgrove etc. put in absolutely middling 5/10 performances.

 

[stryker 69]

He has good defense, a good kicking game (at least compared to Hastings and Doueihi) and he can create a try/line break.

This is all a myth.
Look at his stats yesterday. They show that Hastings and Doueihi eclipsed him in every area you just stated he is an asset in.
The truth is, if he didn’t play yesterday, there would have been no noticeable difference to the negative.

 

[weststigerman]

Did the stats inform you Brooks had two relative rookies outside of him?

This guy 🤣

 

[Mighty_Tiger]

He has good defense, a good kicking game (at least compared to Hastings and Doueihi) and he can create a try/line break.

The problem is as you state I think Hastings and Doueihi are both better players than him in the halves.

It's professional footy. I don't hate Brooks but if I'm picking the team Brooks doesn't make the run on team.

He doesn’t have good defense. He misses more tackles than 99% of players in the comp. Last 5yrs has been in the top 5-10 players for missed tackles. This year he is 6 tackles away from hitting last years mark.

Yes he can put on a hit but he gets brushed off and gets caught out of position a heap which impacts other players around him + then drives others to force coverage incase creating inside space.

 

[stryker 69]

I disagree, they were far from awful. Penrith failed to capitalise effectively on their dominance, and they were the dominant side for, I'd say, 50-55 mins of the game. But their "lesser" halves took a number of bad options and Tigers were let out of jail a number of times.

Tigers only started to win the battle late in the match, but Penrith lifted like a champion side does.

I am fairly confident that Penrith side would have gone close enough to beating most of the Bottom 8 sides, especially when they could still rely on top-tier performers like Kikau and JFH.

Tigers also played OK, when the line-up is taken into consideration, and the recent form. Tigers took a long time to wrestle back control of the match, and even the try (+ disallowed) on half-time were an aberration for the general flow of the first half (in Penrith's favour).

Much like Panthers we lacked better execution for our opportunities. But unlike Panthers, we gifted a lot of opportunities to Penrith. Panthers still defended, ran and held the football quite well, and easily better than Tigers over the course of 80 mins. It was a no-frills affair from them, but it was highly competent.

We had more possession.
We had a better completion rate.
We kicked for more meters.
They had twice as many errors
They conceded more penalties.
They had more ineffective tackles.
They had more ruck infringements.
We had 8 players post more than 100m with two others in the high 90’s.

Cleary couldn’t wipe the smile off his face that he rested so many, the team played so poorly and yet they won.

 

[stryker 69]

This guy 🤣

It must feel great to be so protected.

 

[BZN]

I thought my sarcasm was pretty obvious. I mean, how much more complaining can one muster regarding Brooks these days? It’s obvious the club sees it differently. Sheens and Benji from everything they have said have him in their plans. The topic in general though is as toxic as it comes. I thought Wests vs Balmain and Farah vs JT were toxic. Has nothing on this,

Your sarcastic posts have sucked Paws into thinking you are serious, and he has defended you a couple of times eh!
Sarcastic posts lead people astray and cause unwanted arguments on here Gnr.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Your sarcastic posts have sucked Paws into thinking you are serious, and he has defended you a couple of times eh!
Sarcastic posts lead people astray and cause unwanted arguments on here Gnr.

Thats not what my sarcasm was referring too. I’ve only ever tried to see the reality of the situation. And you can’t talk reality in a topic that’s as highly charged as Luke Brooks