Brooks at 9…

Explosive speed off the mark = yes.
Short kicking game both feet = yes
Long kicking game = yes
Solid one on one defense = yes, massively improved.

The things he lacks as a half? Organisational skills and game management…both less important at 9.

He would be explosive out of dummy half against tiring forwards.

It is very clear by now his major strength is broken field running, ideal from 9.

It is also very clear by now he is never going to be a game managing 7.

Time to try it. He could end up like Damien Cook, who was tried all over the park before being given the 9.

Brooks has ALL the credentials to be a great 9.

At this point, season is over…6. Benji 7 Josh 9 Brooks…at least try it for the last month.

Anyone want to make a case against Brooks at 9? I can’t think of anything that would prevent him from being very good at 9.

Not the craziest idea but hard to say for sure as I’ve never really seen him at dummy half
It does create another problem though as we would then be looking for a half and they don’t come cheap
I’m guessing we’ll be trying Reynolds at hooker next week, maybe he stays now if he can serve up a strong 3 games to finish

Don’t mind the idea but I think it’ll be a combination of Reynolds and Taylor at nine to finish the season

@Curly_Tiger said in Brooks at 9:

Not the craziest idea but hard to say for sure as I’ve never really seen him at dummy half
It does create another problem though as we would then be looking for a half and they don’t come cheap
I’m guessing we’ll be trying Reynolds at hooker next week, maybe he stays now if he can serve up a strong 3 games to finish

Josh has tried and failed at 9.(Still better than ET)

Brooks at least has the skillset.

Brooks also has FOUR more years to go. He can’t manage a game, and we won’t go anywhere with a 7 who can’t do that. At 9 he could use all his main skills.

Defence? We know he is good for strong contact on the edges. Probably one of the better 7’s in this regard. Playing 80 in the middle though?

Marshall @ 9 in attack , defend with Brooks in the 9 position and either Matterson or Lawrence @ 6

Brooks played 9 once for about 20mins against the cowboys in our worst ever scoring game. Think it was 2-8 2015 maybe. Go back and have a look and see how he went.

@Needaname said in Brooks at 9:

Brooks played 9 once for about 20mins against the cowboys in our worst ever scoring game. Think it was 2-8 2015 maybe. Go back and have a look and see how he went.

20 mins, years ago…

A bit different to being given the role and his D is a mile better now.

Also, have you ever seen ET play 9? He passes like he is throwing bags of coal…

@ElleryHanley I’d like to see him at least tried there as its quiet evident after 6 failed years he isn’t a good enough half back. I’m just not sure he can man up and make 2-3 hard tackles against opposition forwards each set. Do you think he can consistently make 40 or 50 tackles a game and still zip out of dummy half? I’m not sure?

@ElleryHanley
Sorry that was a comment as a FYI. Not to create support or opposition to the topic.

@fair-dinkum said in Brooks at 9:

@ElleryHanley I’d like to see him at least tried there as its quiet evident after 6 failed years he isn’t a good enough half back. I’m just not sure he can man up and make 2-3 hard tackles against opposition forwards each set. Do you think he can consistently make 40 or 50 tackles a game and still zip out of dummy half? I’m not sure?

He could split the role…50 mins / 30 min.

But, as you said, it seems very clear he is not ever going to be a game managing 7. We are stuck.

The season is over so it’s not the craziest idea, certainly worth a shot.

Another big factor = our roster.

If Liddle is out for half of next year, we will thus need to sign TWO hookers for 2020.

We barely have any money or spots left and they will be gone on reserve grade caliber 9s.

Conversely, Brooks at 9…and suddenly we have a role for Josh at 7.

I know Josh has played 9, but he failed there…and there is absolutely no way his body could take playing 9 nowadays.

We are likely stuck with Josh…and possibly stuck having to buy two hookers.

It would balance out the roster much better if = Josh 7 Brooks 9 One back up 9 One new Prop.

i’ve been wanting that to happen for a while tbh. He can’t make the clutch plays as a half. Can’t pull the trigger.

@tig_prmz said in Brooks at 9:

i’ve been wanting that to happen for a while tbh. He can’t make the clutch plays as a half. Can’t pull the trigger.

Yes…and I have been a huge Brooksy fan since he played for Holy Cross.

It pains me to admit it, but he can’t pull the trigger. He can’t bark at his forwards. He can’t put the opposition away inside their 20 when we have repeat sets.

He just is not ‘that’ guy.