@bbobb said in [The inevitable Luke Brooks thread\.\.](/post/1189929) said:
I'm in the same boat as you and everyone else and only wants to see wins, regardless who is there.
I don't mind that he's not in the team but do about how we use our bench.
And this is not aimed at you... But I just find it funny that there's a lot of unjustified comments about Luke's form when his usage over the past 2 weeks give us no real indication (of where he's at).
I think Madge made that decision when he benched him. I agree with you that he isn’t a bench player and this role is both unfamiliar and unsuitable.
My feeling is that the issue for fans (and perhaps the coach) is that he hasn’t gone to the next level in terms of game management. He had a stunning year in 2018 and really announced himself but it is a probably fair assumption that he has plateaued if not regressed slightly. Admittedly his defence is terrific for a half and our forwards can be underwhelming at times in terms of setting a platform but as the OP alluded to, parts of his attack and management haven’t evolved in my opinion.
Truly appreciate this type of response in the forum and not just because I agree with your comment, it just gets a little chaotic in here at times.
This tends to be one of the WTFs most contentious topic doesn't it?
Wrote a similar thing a few weeks back and expressed how it's a real challenge for us, considering every player in the team are keen and ready to make it to the finals. But we have a key play maker down in both confidence and form.
I agree the real conundrum is that we need him to take his game to the next level. And I think it's pretty clear that Madge is trying to turn this team into a competitive one with a winning attitude - but Luke's own passive demeanour is holding him back.
I've seen comments on here about getting a sports psychologist in for him, and must admit I don't think it's too bad a suggestion. But my personal opinion is that he needs a coach also...think I stated it as far back to when he won the Dally M Halfback award.
While I feel the game is moving in a different direction and the spine as a collective are more integral to a team's overall performance, I do however also see that we need Luke to play to his strengths and have some capabillity with helping steer us out of trouble.
I think he's a player with some great skills but just doesn't have that mental edge.
We often see Cleary's kicking game brought up in argument and fortunately for him he had the luxury of having his Dad help him - since he was knee high to a grasshopper - perfect those skills.
I just don't believe he's a complete write off and wonder if playing him off the bench is actually helping him work on other aspects of his game - which is sorely needed right now. Plus I honestly don't want to see us waste money in chasing Lachlan Lewis or a Townsend type, when Luke's a better player than both.
Yes I think a halves coach or mentor would be ideal for Brooks. If you look at the current halves that have actually improved their game significantly they have had a coach or mentor like the Johns brothers in their camp. Madge tried to get this happening by bringing in Laurie Daley last season, but alas the NRL knocked it on the head for whatever lame reason.
I would wager that we'd all be seeing a different Luke Brooks right now if the Daley assignment had've worked out. If we aren't allowed to have Daley then perhaps Madge can pursue someone else - Scott Prince, Brett Kimmorley or Matthew Johns perhaps? Even though the latter is a tosser ?
