Luke Brooks is perhaps the most intriguing player in the NRL. He’s played over 200 games of first grade, but nobody really knows if he’s any good or not.
Now, having signed for Manly, we’re about to find out if Luke Brooks Island was just something that needed a beach to complete it – or an overhyped resort that cost a lot but didn’t deliver.
His career to date would be widely regarded as a failure, but most people also acknowledge that a lot of that failure isn’t really his fault.
Moreover, the central criticism as a player at the Wests Tigers wasn’t that he wasn’t good, it was that he wasn’t as good as the pay cheque he was on. Patently, that’s the Tigers’ fault, not that of Luke Brooks.
On top of that, he was part of a generation that included James Tedesco and Mitchell Moses, both of whom left and excelled, while Brooks stayed and, err, didn’t. Again, it’s not really Brooks’ fault that other players did well after leaving the Wests Tigers.
Let’s try and cut through the bluster. Here’s what we can say about him with confidence.
Brooks has underwhelmed given the expectations that he had following his Rookie of the Year start in 2014, but that has to be caveated with those around him, who have never been good. A half playing behind a beaten pack tends to look bad.
Go look at the list of his most common teammates and it is a damning indictment of the quality levels. 160 games with David Nofoaluma, 114 with Alex Twal, 86 with Sauaso Sue and 80 each with Michael Chee-Kam and Kevin Naiqama.
It’s not that they’re bad players, but they’re also not world beaters. Only Chris Lawrence (108) would be above the ‘honest pro’ category.
Also on 205 games for one club is Jack de Belin, who gets Tyson Frizell, Gareth Widdop, Jason Nightingale, Tariq Sims and Josh Dugan in his top teammates list. All played rep footy at a serious level.
This isn’t to compare Brooks and de Belin’s abilities, but you can see who had better support around them, and that matters.
The Tigers haven’t made the finals in over a decade (in case you haven’t heard) but in the years when they have been even close to decent, Brooks was their best player, like when they finished ninth in 2018 and he won Dally M Halfback of the Year.
It’s with this context that Brooks enters the defining stage of his career. He’s about to turn 29 and should enter his prime years, and finally has a set up alongside him that should complement his abilities rather than detract from them.
luke brooks
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
For the first time since Benji Marshall left at the end of 2020, Brooks won’t be the senior half at the club, with Daly Cherry-Evans still calling the shots. All the five eighth will have to do is run and create.
On top of that, he has a pack that might actually win the floor sometimes, plus one of the best fullbacks in the world running off his hip on whatever side of the field he decides to play on.
Indeed, even if Tom Trbojevic gets injured – spoiler alert: he will – then the back-ups, whether Reuben Garrick or Tolu Koula, will still be better than anyone he’s worked with at the Tigers since Tedesco left.
There’s an argument that Manly have a top four spine with Brooks on board, especially given the improvement in Lachlan Croker, and if they continue with the style of play that Anthony Seibold favoured in 2023, with fast rucks and quick spreads, then they might end up as the best team to watch.
Here’s the thing about Brooks, too. Even when he was poor at the Tigers, his numbers, when taken on a per possession basis, were still really good.
The problem tended to be that he didn’t get enough ball. In 2022, for example, the year that he last featured as a 6, Brooks was above average for line breaks assists and line engagements, and that was in a Tigers team that were stone motherless last and gave him next to no assistance.
(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
Brooks has no excuses now. DCE is the undoubted leader and will take all the pressure off him, allowing the licence to create and play without the weight of the world on his shoulders.
He should get good ball out of a pack that will prioritise speed on the floor. He has strike backrowers on his hip, the fastest backline in the league outside that and as good a fullback as he could wish for.
With that, however, comes a different sort of pressure. At the Tigers, it was all about his pay cheque, the dysfunctional environment and his place as a symbol of all that was wrong. Lose and it was his fault, even when, as discussed, it often wasn’t.
Now, he’s set up to succeed. Manly’s salary cap is designed to win in the here and now with a coach who has been backed in to recruit to his style.
The goal has to be to open the Premiership window again before Cherry-Evans, who turns 35 before the season starts, retires. That means now or next year, with the captain’s contract up at the end of 2025.
Brooks might be the final cog that makes it possible. He’s got nowhere to hide on the Northern Beaches.
Short Memory
Roar Rookie
I'm with you Dutski. As a Tigers fan I've suffered through too many years of giving Brooks the benefit of the doubt and watching him continually increase that doubt. Last season the Tigers did reasonably well in gaining field position. They were not in the bottom 5 teams for run metres (12th), tackle breaks (10th), offloads (3rd). A solid pack with Api pulling the strings got them where they needed to be to score points. They were also middle of the pack for Run Metres Conceded and conceded the least Offloads, were ranked 13th for missed tackles, and despite coming dead last conceded less points than the Bulldogs. So how did we earn ourselves another spoon? Despite good field position our set finishes were the worst in the comp by a long stretch. The least tries scored - by a significant margin. Luke Brooks managed just 8 try assists - less than half the number contributed by Matt Burton at the next worst team, the Bulldogs... who now finds his credibility as a playmaker under question. To put it in perspective, that's 2 less try assists than Sean O'Sullivan contributed at the Dolphins in 2 less games! If Burton's credibility is under question, what should that say about Brooks? Brooks' Line Break assists (7) were also less than half of Burton's, or Hastings' - and less even than Api Koroisau (9) on the same team. Sezer and Sullivan are clearly not world beaters, but it's difficult to imagine they will be any more ineffectual than Brooks was last season. It's also difficult to imagine that Brooks is going to add much at all to the Sea Eagles. IMHO they would have been better bringing Fainu through.
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
That was implied
Panthers
Roar Rookie
It all starts with actually tackling effectively.
Dutski
Roar Guru
Been pondering this for a few days. You make a good argument but… time will tell if the Tigers were held back by Brooks or held him back. The argument about the supporting cast is an interesting one. My take is that really good halves can make the players around them into rep players. Joey Johns played Jamie Ainscough into rep teams. Jamie Buhrer can thank DCE for his Blues jersey. In any club with a top quality half you see players who might otherwise be honest toilers excelling. I guess this year and the next will tell us - if the Tigers surge up the ladder it might be Benji’s coaching, or it might be the anchor that’s held them to the sea floor is gone. If they don’t improve, maybe it was the Tigers holding Brooks back. Either way it’s going to be an intriguing thing to watch.
Muzz Manyana
Roar Rookie
Manly fans should forget about winning a premiership whilst Brooks is in their 30 man squad and kick back and enjoy the season. Brooks is a plodder who was fortunate enough to fool the Tigers and now Manly which is quite amusing really. What the f ark has happened to the Manly club I once respected?
Jackson Rogers
Roar Rookie
Brookes is a very good average player with over 200 games experience i doubt a change of clubs will improve his game by much...
mushi
Roar Guru
He could definitely be the 4th or even 3rd best spine player in a good side. It's just unlikely it will be a good side if he's the 2nd best. That is the tiger's fault though
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
Yep, and it took BA the best part of two years to get it through to him. Run Bryce, run. Run hard, run tough. Then show your skills.
Bill
Roar Rookie
Paseka's progress has been very slow but at least its on the right trajectory! A guy built the way he is, should have the world at his feet
Andrew01
Roar Rookie
And being an outsider on the Northern Beaches, he may need to draw on that. They have much less paitence for those not born and bred, so he will need to meet expectations early to keep the fans on side. For his sake i hope he does, for Manly's sake, not so much :happy:
Panthers
Roar Rookie
Sounds like the solution that Parramatta found for Bryce Cartwright.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
Paseka and Sipley finally started to string a few good games together last year, gotta love big men with footwork at the line.
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
Every player not named Cody Walker should be told that
Bill
Roar Rookie
Gosh its a bit early to be getting my hopes up isn't it? I really like Brooks at 5/8. From what I've read other teammates say about him and from the way he speaks in interviews I feel he'll thrive playing second fiddle to Chez. Really doesnt seem a leader which a 7 should be. If Paseka, Sipley and Lodge can all stay on the field and maybe Bully or young Aitasi James as a 4th then I feel a top 6 spot should really be the pass mark. Turbo has been out so long Im nearly ready to move on and stick with Koula... although I felt that way when Will Hopoate replaced an injured Snake at the back for a while and I was premature with my despair then too
Tom G
Roar Rookie
:laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
Tony
Roar Guru
Sounds like the Craig Bellamy solution right there
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
You know i would tell Schuster "Stop pretending to be Bob Fulton , forget about passing , take the bloody ball and run as hard as you can for as far as you can " The kid undoubtedly has talent but he is way off on decision making. Run and tackle first and maybe after 6 rounds we will let you throw a pass.
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
"He’s played over 200 games of first grade, but nobody really knows if he’s any good or not." He's won rookie of the year and a Dally M award for being the best in his spot in one season AND he's played 200 first grade games, so I'd reckon he's better than average. Is he good enough to lift Manly into premiership contention? Maybe, but it's still down to how well the forwards go. If they don't lay the platform, Manly will likely make to finals, but teams with better packs will be the real contenders.
Tetley
Roar Rookie
Something that only gets mentioned in passing is the strength of brooks’ mental game. The amount of heat he’s worn is pretty incomparable. But he always dusts himself off and goes again. That gets respect from me. Emotional intelligence is a huge asset.
Nick Maguire
Roar Rookie
:laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: We're getting the band back together!