‘There’s always something going on here’: Brooks’ parting shot at Tigers
As Benji Marshall prepares to front the media on Friday for the first time since Wests Tigers called time on the tenure of head coach Tim Sheens, Luke Brooks could not resist a parting shot at the joint venture.
It was not lost on the halfback, who will join Manly next season, that he was about to finish his Tigers career under yet another coach.
The Wests Tigers have squeezed legendary coach Tim Sheens out before the 2023 season finishes.
During his 11 turbulent years at the club, Brooks will have played under eight head coaches – Mick Potter, Jason Taylor, Andrew Webster, Ivan Cleary – his favourite – Michael Maguire, Brett Kimmorley, Sheens and now Marshall.
“I was only thinking about this on Wednesday about how many coaches I’ve had,” Brooks told this masthead. “It’s pretty crazy when you think a player like Cameron Smith had the one coach [Craig Bellamy] his entire career at Melbourne.
“It does make it tough. A new coach comes in, they put in their systems, then a new coach comes in, and the same thing happens again. It’s hard as a player to get that consistency.
“It’s frustrating as a player. There is always something going on [here]. Tim has done a lot for the club, it’s pretty upsetting the way it [his exit] has happened.
Brains trust: Tim Sheens, Robbie Farah and Benji Marshall talk shop at Thursday’s training sessionCREDIT:RHETT WYMAN/SMH
“They had that [succession] plan, it didn’t work out the way we wanted, and our performances on the field [did not help].”
Brooks said he hopes the club sticks with Marshall for the long haul and does not cave to external pressure.
He bit his tongue when asked what he thought the real problem was at the club, nervously laughed and said: “I don’t want to say anything.”
“When you’re not winning games, things start happening, obviously people start talking, but as a club, you don’t want to give in to the media pressure,” Brooks said.
Luke Brooks will play his final home game on Saturday
“You need to make the right decisions and not have any outside influence –make decisions that are the right for the club.
“The way Benji is with people, he’s someone you can trust and is easy to talk to. If you can get along with your players, that’s half the battle.”
Brooks said the instability at the club was partly behind his decision to join Manly on a four-year deal worth nearly $3m.
Some officials were unaware at the start of the week that Saturday was Brooks’ final home game. It was later confirmed a farewell tribute had been in the works for a month. Even though he is not retiring or leaving the NRL, Brooks is only the fifth player to reach 200 games for the Tigers.
The fact the game will be played in Parramatta, rather than spiritual Leichhardt Oval or Campbelltown Sports Stadium, meant the farewell had even less significance, said Brooks.
“I don’t really mind if there’s no fuss,” he said. “If it was a Leichhardt game, it would be different, but we have that many home grounds ... it is what it is.”
Brooks rated James Tedesco the best he played with at the Tigers, Chris Lawrence the toughest, Cleary his favourite coach, while his 200th game earlier this season, when he was given a standing ovation –and “Brooks” chant broke out in the main grandstand at Leichhardt during the record 66-0 hammering of North Queensland –a standout memory.
Brooks has dropped five kilos this season and is playing at 85kg, but put the weight loss down to healthy eating rather than the stresses at the club. He skipped training on Thursday, but put it down to “old age”, and haid he would definitely play against the Dolphins.”
Sheens would not comment when approached by this masthead after training, while Marshall said: “See you tomorrow.”
By Christian Nicolussi
August 17, 2023 — 3.45pmAs Benji Marshall prepares to front the media on Friday for the first time since Wests Tigers called time on the tenure of head coach Tim Sheens, Luke Brooks could not resist a parting shot at the joint venture.
It was not lost on the halfback, who will join Manly next season, that he was about to finish his Tigers career under yet another coach.
The Wests Tigers have squeezed legendary coach Tim Sheens out before the 2023 season finishes.
During his 11 turbulent years at the club, Brooks will have played under eight head coaches – Mick Potter, Jason Taylor, Andrew Webster, Ivan Cleary – his favourite – Michael Maguire, Brett Kimmorley, Sheens and now Marshall.
“I was only thinking about this on Wednesday about how many coaches I’ve had,” Brooks told this masthead. “It’s pretty crazy when you think a player like Cameron Smith had the one coach [Craig Bellamy] his entire career at Melbourne.
“It does make it tough. A new coach comes in, they put in their systems, then a new coach comes in, and the same thing happens again. It’s hard as a player to get that consistency.
“It’s frustrating as a player. There is always something going on [here]. Tim has done a lot for the club, it’s pretty upsetting the way it [his exit] has happened.
Brains trust: Tim Sheens, Robbie Farah and Benji Marshall talk shop at Thursday’s training sessionCREDIT:RHETT WYMAN/SMH
“They had that [succession] plan, it didn’t work out the way we wanted, and our performances on the field [did not help].”
Brooks said he hopes the club sticks with Marshall for the long haul and does not cave to external pressure.
He bit his tongue when asked what he thought the real problem was at the club, nervously laughed and said: “I don’t want to say anything.”
“When you’re not winning games, things start happening, obviously people start talking, but as a club, you don’t want to give in to the media pressure,” Brooks said.
Luke Brooks will play his final home game on Saturday
“You need to make the right decisions and not have any outside influence –make decisions that are the right for the club.
“The way Benji is with people, he’s someone you can trust and is easy to talk to. If you can get along with your players, that’s half the battle.”
Brooks said the instability at the club was partly behind his decision to join Manly on a four-year deal worth nearly $3m.
Some officials were unaware at the start of the week that Saturday was Brooks’ final home game. It was later confirmed a farewell tribute had been in the works for a month. Even though he is not retiring or leaving the NRL, Brooks is only the fifth player to reach 200 games for the Tigers.
The fact the game will be played in Parramatta, rather than spiritual Leichhardt Oval or Campbelltown Sports Stadium, meant the farewell had even less significance, said Brooks.
“I don’t really mind if there’s no fuss,” he said. “If it was a Leichhardt game, it would be different, but we have that many home grounds ... it is what it is.”
Brooks rated James Tedesco the best he played with at the Tigers, Chris Lawrence the toughest, Cleary his favourite coach, while his 200th game earlier this season, when he was given a standing ovation –and “Brooks” chant broke out in the main grandstand at Leichhardt during the record 66-0 hammering of North Queensland –a standout memory.
Brooks has dropped five kilos this season and is playing at 85kg, but put the weight loss down to healthy eating rather than the stresses at the club. He skipped training on Thursday, but put it down to “old age”, and haid he would definitely play against the Dolphins.”
Sheens would not comment when approached by this masthead after training, while Marshall said: “See you tomorrow.”
