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Luke Brooks

Maxxn99

Juniors
Messages
72
Watching the Super League grand final, and Josh Drinkwater played very well for Catalans in a losing side. Steered them well around the park with a good kicking game. Just wonder how he may have developed had he been given 150+ games in first grade like Brooks.
Always said when he was at the club that he was the only true halfback at the club. But what the f**k do I know?
 
Messages
3,320
Drinkwater seemed to have everything Brooks lacks, when you think that the WT have failed to make the semifinals for 10 seasons now , it’s obviously clear that who ever has had the responsibility of retention and identifying talent has had no f##king idea what’s so ever.
 

Hoofhearted

Juniors
Messages
719

NRL news: Luke Brooks on Knights’ radar with Mitchell Pearce set to join Catalans Dragons​

A shock contender to replace Mitchell Pearce at Newcastle has emerged — and the lure of playing finals football for the first time might be enough to make it happen.

David Riccio David Riccio
Follow

@DaveRic1


8 min read
October 23, 2021 - 3:12PM
News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s.../4d076751bb29f2b3fa7b546a0c119e02#share-tools

Luke Brooks has emerged as Newcastle’s lead target to replace Mitchell Pearce.
Proving just how unrelenting and fast-moving NRL roster management is, the Knights are aware of Pearce’s motivation to farewell the club for Catalans which has prompted the club to begin assessing a solution.
Pearce is poised to ask the Knights for a release from his 2022 contract so that he can move to France and play with Catalans in the English Super League for the next three years.

Brooks, the Wests Tigers 2021 Player of the Year, is the halfback who the Knights believe has the skillset to help drive the club to it’s first premiership in 21 years.
Ironically, it was in Brooks’ first season of NRL, that commentators said he had a similar playing style to Newcastle legend and rugby league immortal Andrew Johns.
Luke Brooks is on the Knights’ radar to replace Mitchell Pearce. Picture: Mark Nolan/Getty Images

The Knights will free-up $600,000 in their salary cap by releasing Pearce.
Newcastle have the option of running with Jake Clifford and Kalyn Ponga in the halves in 2022. Adam Clune, Kurt Mann, Phoenix Crossland and Simi Sasagi can also play in the halves.
However, the pursuit of Brooks would allow the club to leave the freakish Ponga at fullback.
A major factor in any hope the Knights have of tempting Brooks is the fact that the 2018 Dally M Halfback of the Year is managed by the same agent, Isaac Moses, as Newcastle coach Adam O’Brien.
Moses’ agency also manages Knights players David Klemmer, Suasao Sue, Kurt Mann, Hymel Hunt and Enari Tuala.
News Corp spoke to Tigers officials about Brooks’ future on Saturday. The Tigers had a clear message of “hands off” their halfback, who is contracted to the club until the end of 2023.
It’s not the first time the Tigers have had to defend themselves from the posturing of rival clubs towards Brooks.
Mitchell Pearce is poised to leave the Knights. Picture: NRL Photos

Tigers management recently swatted away the Raiders interest in Brooks – before Canberra moved onto signing Titans halfback Jamal Fogarty.
A major reason why the Tigers won’t entertain letting Brooks go is due to their stressed depth chart of halves.
Influential five-eighth Adam Doueihi is expected to be out until May after undergoing the second ACL knee reconstruction of his career.
The Tigers are planning on starting the season with Jackson Hastings, signed from the UK Super League, alongside Brooks. Halfback Jock Madden, 21, is next in line.
Since making his debut with the Tigers in 2013, Brooks has never played finals football. He is the only halfback since 1980 without a finals match to his name.
Brooks would need to weigh up between the Knights and Tigers where he believes his best chance is to make the top eight – and also, which club is closer to winning a premiership.
Before that though, Pearce needs to land his release from the Knights – the full stop on his NRL career.
 

Tigerm

First Grade
Messages
8,902

NRL news: Luke Brooks on Knights’ radar with Mitchell Pearce set to join Catalans Dragons​

A shock contender to replace Mitchell Pearce at Newcastle has emerged — and the lure of playing finals football for the first time might be enough to make it happen.

David Riccio David Riccio
Follow
@DaveRic1

8 min read
October 23, 2021 - 3:12PM
News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s.../4d076751bb29f2b3fa7b546a0c119e02#share-tools

Luke Brooks has emerged as Newcastle’s lead target to replace Mitchell Pearce.
Proving just how unrelenting and fast-moving NRL roster management is, the Knights are aware of Pearce’s motivation to farewell the club for Catalans which has prompted the club to begin assessing a solution.
Pearce is poised to ask the Knights for a release from his 2022 contract so that he can move to France and play with Catalans in the English Super League for the next three years.

Brooks, the Wests Tigers 2021 Player of the Year, is the halfback who the Knights believe has the skillset to help drive the club to it’s first premiership in 21 years.
Ironically, it was in Brooks’ first season of NRL, that commentators said he had a similar playing style to Newcastle legend and rugby league immortal Andrew Johns.
Luke Brooks is on the Knights’ radar to replace Mitchell Pearce. Picture: Mark Nolan/Getty Images

The Knights will free-up $600,000 in their salary cap by releasing Pearce.
Newcastle have the option of running with Jake Clifford and Kalyn Ponga in the halves in 2022. Adam Clune, Kurt Mann, Phoenix Crossland and Simi Sasagi can also play in the halves.
However, the pursuit of Brooks would allow the club to leave the freakish Ponga at fullback.
A major factor in any hope the Knights have of tempting Brooks is the fact that the 2018 Dally M Halfback of the Year is managed by the same agent, Isaac Moses, as Newcastle coach Adam O’Brien.
Moses’ agency also manages Knights players David Klemmer, Suasao Sue, Kurt Mann, Hymel Hunt and Enari Tuala.
News Corp spoke to Tigers officials about Brooks’ future on Saturday. The Tigers had a clear message of “hands off” their halfback, who is contracted to the club until the end of 2023.
It’s not the first time the Tigers have had to defend themselves from the posturing of rival clubs towards Brooks.
Mitchell Pearce is poised to leave the Knights. Picture: NRL Photos

Tigers management recently swatted away the Raiders interest in Brooks – before Canberra moved onto signing Titans halfback Jamal Fogarty.
A major reason why the Tigers won’t entertain letting Brooks go is due to their stressed depth chart of halves.
Influential five-eighth Adam Doueihi is expected to be out until May after undergoing the second ACL knee reconstruction of his career.
The Tigers are planning on starting the season with Jackson Hastings, signed from the UK Super League, alongside Brooks. Halfback Jock Madden, 21, is next in line.
Since making his debut with the Tigers in 2013, Brooks has never played finals football. He is the only halfback since 1980 without a finals match to his name.
Brooks would need to weigh up between the Knights and Tigers where he believes his best chance is to make the top eight – and also, which club is closer to winning a premiership.
Before that though, Pearce needs to land his release from the Knights – the full stop on his NRL career.
Interesting
 

Tiger05

First Grade
Messages
9,162
That is a very interesting article. The first thing is how much of it is complete and utter horseshit ? I think getting him off the books would solve who plays in the halves next year.
 
Messages
3,211
it’s obviously clear that who ever has had the responsibility of retention and identifying talent has had no f##king idea what’s so ever.
My 1st read of that benched Tiger was true but then you have to take into account the other things regarding this. Identifying talent say from under 12’s, the kids are playing in their same age group, granted there are some big islander kids, then the smaller kids ( the likes of a Brooks) keep improving in their club and school teams until their 1st rep teams, say U16’s. Now those smaller kids (Brooks) are mixed in with the best (supposedly) from their district, again same age group, no fear about ordering their bigger, taller team mates around even for a timid young guy.

The clubs send their scouts out to the schoolboy carnivals, it’s the big boys who stand out for many reasons but the 6, 7 and 9 are typically smaller and so there’s the X factor with them.

18 years and over, we are talking adults, some of these guys might get graded, some might get thrown into 1st grade, some guys just have the mental capacity, kill it and keep that going for long and successful careers, no matter the teams & coaches, others, and I think of Brooks, have made it for sure but are just not that good. Is that on them alone, a team? a coach or many coaches ? I do not think it comes back on the guy responsible identifying the talent, at the Tigers I think it comes back to the retention person and the plugging of holes elsewhere in the 13.
 

Das Hassler

Bench
Messages
2,960
I hope they do.johns has not done much to help the parra halves he has coached them for 2 years

Over the last two seasons he's only had a short time actually working hands on with them. I think he'd get better results out of Brooks and as it was johns who raved about what he saw in him as an 18 year old you would think he'd have an interest in helping him fulfill his potential if the opportunity came up.
 
Last edited:
Messages
565
I'd be overjoyed if someone would take him off our hands. Aside from his defence, he hasn't improved in any way since making first grade. And his defence was absolutely diabolical in his first couple of years.

Can't read the game
Can't organise the team
Kicking game is abysmal
Isn't a leader

If this is true, and it probably isn't, it's good to see other teams in the comp have management just as bad as us. What games are Newcastle watching to think "Luke Brooks? He's what we need to take us to the next level."

I'd rather blood Jock Madden and give him the entire season to see what he can produce. We're going to come last or close to it. Give him a shot. Plus you get the added bonus of pocketing Brooks salary.
 

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