https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/nrl-2021-tigers-best-17-luke-brooks-james-roberts-joey-leilua-jacob-liddle-tommy-talau-billy-walters-teams/news-story/92d88330cf7e540e036f9fb459a0c895
**It’s now or never for Luke Brooks as Michael Maguire unleashes Fab Five: Tigers best 17**
Mark St John - February 3, 2021 7:17am
Source: FOX SPORTS
The Tigers have a new look spine in 2021 with Luke Brooks now the driver of the ship and it is up to him to unleash a dangerous outside back contingent. For so long the knock on Brooks is that he constantly deferred to club greats Benji Marshall and Robbie Farah, but with both no longer at the club it is the No.7s time to make the team his own.
Brooks was the 2019 Dally M Halfback of the Year, but his form fell away dramatically last year to the point he was dropped to the bench.
**Round 1**
Part of Michael Maguire’s tough call to let club legend Marshall leave was to give Brooks a long-awaited chance to drive the teams’ attack.
The club have also lost hooker Harry Grant, who returned to the Storm and five-eighth Josh Reynolds has moved to the Super League.
That means that Brooks will form a new halves partnership with makeshift No.6 Adam Doueihi, which gives the halfback even more responsibility to lead the teams’ direction.
The club has had one of the biggest turnover of players in the competition, with 11 players moving on and six players joining, while four players had their contracts upgraded.
Apart from Grant other notable losses were Josh Aloiai to Manly, Sam McIntyre to the Titans, Matt Eisenhuth and Robert Jennings to the Panthers and Chris Lawrence to retirement.
However the Tigers made some shrewd recruitment moves in picking up James Roberts from the Rabbitohs, James Tamou from the Panthers, Joe Ofahengaue from the Broncos and rookie Stefano Utoikamanu from the Eels.
Tamou and Ofahengaue in particular provide much needed starch to the Tigers’ pack, which has been accused of going missing at times in recent seasons.
Roberts provides priceless speed and attacking strike, while Utoikamanu has the potential to be a game-breaker off the bench as he matures.
On paper the Tigers are probably a star fullback and a seasoned five-eighth and hooker away from consistently matching the top sides in the push for a premiership.
However they will be exciting to watch and if they can stay on the park and build combinations this just might be the year the longest finals drought in the NRL, stretching back to 2011 comes to an end.
**THE STRENGTH**
Back five. The Tigers have a potentially devastating back five as long as their halves and hooker can get them plenty of good, clean and early ball.
Free of the captaincy, Moses Mbye returns to fullback in 2021 after an up and down stint in the centres for the Tigers over the last two seasons.
David Nofoaluma is coming off a season where he scored 17 tries in 20 games, while 20-year-old Tommy is set for a bright future.
In Joey Leilua and star recruit James Roberts the Tigers have potentially one of the best centre pairings in the NRL, but there is a big caveat.
Leilua needs to cut the dirty play out of his game and focus on running hard and tackling even harder, while Roberts will be hoping for a better run with injuries at his new club.
Provided their forward pack and halves can do their jobs this back five should score plenty of tries in 2021.
**THE PRESSURE IS ON**
Luke Brooks. The 26-year-old has been given the keys to the team after the departures of club greats Robbie Farah and Benji Marshall in consecutive seasons and it is his time to show what he can do as a chief playmaker.
Harry Grant’s return to the Storm means that much of the Tigers’ attack will come down to Brooks’ ability to create try-scoring opportunities for his teammates.
Adding to the pressure will be the fact Brooks will be partnered by a rookie five-eighth in Adam Doueihi at the scrumbase and their combination will take time to develop.
Brooks has now scored 39 tries in 148 games for the Tigers and is at the age where playmaker’s come into their own.
However Brooks can no longer defer to Marshall and needs to be assertive and take the game by the scruff of the neck in order set his speedsters out wide free and create opportunities for himself as well.
**THE RISING STAR**
Tommy Talau. The 20-year-old son of Bulldogs great Willie Talau scored eight tries in just 12 games last year after debuting in 2019.
Talau is a lot bigger than his old man and has the potential to be an excellent centre down the track.
For now he is caught behind Joey Leilua and James Roberts in the pecking order, but it could be a blessing in disguise playing on the end of this backline.
Talau will learn plenty from his centres and no doubt add to his impressive try-scoring tally in 2021, which can only help his development as a centre down the line.
**THE UNLUCKY ONES**
Paul Momirovski and Billy Walters. If everyone is fit and firing it is hard to see Walters and Momirovski getting a spot in the 17.
After his swap deal with the Storm’s Harry Grant, Momirovski has been agitating for a release to join the Panthers or the Bulldogs after being told he will not be a starter at the Tigers.
Given the Tigers’ strong centre pairing and wingers it is understandable that Momirovski will find it difficult to break into the starting backline.
Walters is bidding to return from a knee injury and Jacob Liddle looks set to be handed first crack at the hooker role, while Doueihi will block his claims to the No.6 jersey.
Depending on how much game time Liddle can manage after a series of long-term injuries, Walters could be used as a utility off the bench, but he will have to make up for lost time when he returns and hope a spot opens up.
**IT’S A BIG YEAR FOR**
James Roberts. The 27-year-old is coming off a tough 2020 campaign that saw him spend time in a rehabilitation clinic to deal with anxiety and depression.
Roberts scored just one try in six games for the Rabbitohs before he mutually parted ways with the club one year before his contract expired.
If Roberts can overcome the off-field issues and stay injury-free he is every chance to return to the form that saw him represent the Blues in 2018.
The veteran journeymen centre has scored 74 tries in 149 games in the NRL for the Rabbitohs, Panthers, Titans and Broncos and at full fitness he is one of the fastest players in the competition.
Roberts has the potential to form a devastating centre combination with Joey Leilua and by all reports is in a strong frame of mind to repay the faith the Tigers have shown in him.
If he can maintain fitness of mind and body then the sky is the limit for Roberts in 2021.
**TIGERS BEST 17**
1 Moses Mbye
2 David Nofoaluma
3 Joey Leilua
4 James Roberts
5 Tommy Talau
6 Adam Doueihi
7 Luke Brooks
8 Joe Ofahengaue
9 Jacob Liddle
10 James Tamou
11 Luke Garner
12 Luciano Leilua
13 Alex Twal
14 Michael Chee-Kam
15 Shawn Blore
16 Thomas Mikaele
17 Stefano Utoikamanu
**2021 squad**: Shawn Blore, Kane Bradley, Luke Brooks, Michael Chee-Kam, Zac Cini, Adam Doueihi, Luke Garner, Asu Kepaoa, Joey Leilua, Luciano Leilua, Jacob Liddle, Jock Madden, Moses Mbye, Thomas Mikaele, Paul Momirovski, Zane Musgrove, David Nofoaluma, Joe Ofahengaue, Russell Packer, James Roberts, Jake Simpkin, Tommy Talau, James Tamou, Alex Twal, Stefano Utoikamanu, Billy Walters
2021 gains: James Roberts (Rabbitohs), Stefano Utoikamanu (Eels), Paul Momirovski (loan return from Storm), James Tamou (Panthers), Joe Ofahengaue (Broncos), Tuki Simpkins (Cowboys). Jock Madden, Kane Bradley, Jake Simpkin, Zac Cini (all upgraded)
2021 losses: Harry Grant (loan return to Storm), Josh Aloiai (Sea Eagles), Chris Lawrence (retirement), Sam McIntyre (Titans), Matt Eisenhuth, Robert Jennings (both Panthers), Benji Marshall (Rabbitohs), Josh Reynolds (Hull), Oliver Clark, Elijah Taylor, Dylan Smith (all unsigned)
Why do these guys keep putting Chee-Kam in the 17?
Shame about CheKam,build,speed,step,has everything it takes,.If he only took that next step he could be anything.
DempsModerator