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Brooks

Vozzy

Juniors
Messages
1,689
He probably just needed some good coaching. The media won't say it but he has been a bigger reason why we win games more then Marshall. Marshall is making mistakes but what he provides is pressure off Brooks. Brooks still needs to become more dominant but I think he will be a top 3 half by 2019. His defence has improved the most I reckon and has given him confidence in his body to take the line on more.
 

Vic Mackey

Referee
Messages
24,496
Fitness, confidence and coaching were holding him back. I’m so glad he didn’t go to another club and play like this, it would have cut more then Fifita/Addo-Carr etc imo.

Moses and Farah were dominant personalities who over called him all the time. Brooks looks a shy kid who allowed it to happen. Now with those guys the coach has instilled a lot of faith in him which has filled him with confidence. He is also allowed to play what he sees and not the boring structure Taylor had him playing.

For the first time in his career he looks fit, this is particularly telling in his defence. Is considerably stronger and standing his ground as opposed to the rushing up and missing he was doing previously.
 

Clifferd

Coach
Messages
10,805
I think they’re both similar sort of players in the way that they want to control/own the team, but with the halves Ivan Cleary has coached in the past I have full confidence he could make it work

6. Brooks
7. Cleary
 

Das Hassler

Bench
Messages
2,960
For someone of his size in todays game his defence is outstanding....he doesnt need a fulltime bodyguard and doesn't need to be hidden away. He and Cleary would be a dream pairing ( if their chemistry worked)....anticipating Brooks improvement to come i wouldnt replace him with anyone....daylight between him and Cleary is fast fading amd that's not taking anything away from Cleary
 
Messages
3,320
Reynolds is a worry,at the back end of his stay at the bulldogs he was getting injuries,it seems once you start getting these soft tissue injuries they just keep reoccurring.
 

BuffaloRules

Coach
Messages
14,270
Brooks is cheap now, but the way he is playing his contract is going up considerably in 2020...

Doubt you can afford Cleary, Brooks especially with still two years left with Reynolds to run..
 

Das Hassler

Bench
Messages
2,960
As ive suggested Ivan's toughest decision will be one of three options he will have ( assuming we can't fit both in the budget)....
keep a possibly worldbeater Brooks ( by that stage) and puting the coaching of his son on hold
Replace Brooks with Nathan risking team harmony with the predictable innuendo
Leave WT to coach Nathan at anorher club.
Another possibility would be if Nathan would be willing to accept the lowest reasonable deal to come over to tick that box on the Cleary hosehold to do list....i have the distinct impression that it may be possible if the club remains polite and on good terms with Ivan....he'd be proud of what he's achieved here and would be close to the group he's done it with...that would be hard to walk away from....hope Nathan sees it that way
 

Tiger Ted

Bench
Messages
2,952
Reynolds is a worry,at the back end of his stay at the bulldogs he was getting injuries,it seems once you start getting these soft tissue injuries they just keep reoccurring.
Reynolds’s ridiculous lengthy contract on top $ is not going to end well for us.I don’t understand y we didn’t offer him a 2 yr contract at such generous money.I hope it doesn’t end up costing us a potentially potent scrum halves combination of Brooks & N.Cleary.

Even if we end up shopping Reynolds around at the end of ‘19 we will have to take a massive haircut coz his real mkt value will b a lot less than the extraordinary money he is on with us.
 

Vic Mackey

Referee
Messages
24,496
Nathan is still only 20, Ivan is obviously never going to struggle for a gig. There’s no rush to bring them together, who’s to say they won’t coach/play in 6/7 years time?

Re Reynolds agree now 4 years is seeming like a stretch. However when we signed him the club needed a big name and they did what they could to get him. I remember when we got him he said the 4 years was a big thing for him, I think dogs and sharks had offered 3.

Next year if it’s not working Josh seems like the guy Ivan could sit down with, tell him he isn’t needed next year and he’d take it on the chin. Go find somewhere else or head to England.
 

Tigerm

First Grade
Messages
8,902
Nathan is still only 20, Ivan is obviously never going to struggle for a gig. There’s no rush to bring them together, who’s to say they won’t coach/play in 6/7 years time?

Re Reynolds agree now 4 years is seeming like a stretch. However when we signed him the club needed a big name and they did what they could to get him. I remember when we got him he said the 4 years was a big thing for him, I think dogs and sharks had offered 3.

Next year if it’s not working Josh seems like the guy Ivan could sit down with, tell him he isn’t needed next year and he’d take it on the chin. Go find somewhere else or head to England.
Agree, and when we signed him Brooks was considered a basket case and Reynolds was our only hope. If we didn't sign him, we didn't have anyone else. Who knows, maybe it was the catalyst for some of our other signings.
Besides, as I said earlier, we haven't even seen the bloke play yet, so I think I will wait to reserve judgement of him.
 

Tiger05

First Grade
Messages
9,162
Next year if it’s not working Josh seems like the guy Ivan could sit down with, tell him he isn’t needed next year and he’d take it on the chin. Go find somewhere else or head to England.

The problem is that he is on top dollar. Cleary and Brooks in the halves would be awesome.
 
Messages
3,320
If you had Brooks and Cleary in the halves you would think it would be a lot easier to attract quality players around them.
 

BrotherJim05

Bench
Messages
3,399
Idk if Cleary and Brooks would work. They both play like traditional halfbacks, I feel it would be like Moses and Brooks all over again
 
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