Shane Richardson takes swipe at 'disloyal' Tigers players

Wests Tigers chief executive Shane Richardson congratulated Brooks in a rare and somewhat bizarre statement following Manly's 24-22 win over Canterbury. The halfback left the Tigers at the end of last season after 205 games with the club. And the joint venture celebrated their former player's first NRL finals win with a statement on their website. "Wests Tigers wish to congratulate former halfback Luke Brooks on his achievements over the weekend for Manly Warringah Sea Eagles," the statement began. Although there was nothing wrong with the statement, it certainly raised more than a few eyebrows, especially due to Richardson's final line where he took a swipe at other 'disloyal' players who have pulled on a Tigers jersey in the past. "On behalf of everyone here at Wests Tigers, I want to congratulate Luke on achieving something that he has wanted for a long time,” Richardson said. "Luke spent more than a decade as a Wests Tigers player, so he will always be a part of this family. He showed loyalty when many didn’t.” Brooks notably stuck with the struggling Tigers when he was off-contract along with fellow stars Moses, Tedesco and Aaron Woods at the end of the 2017 season. Moses left for Parramatta and Tedesco joined the Roosters at the end of the season, while Woods signed a deal with the Bulldogs before making a shock mid-season switch to Cronulla in 2018. And maligned by Tigers fans for his inability to inspire a finals berth in his time at the club, Brooks finally decided to leave the Tigers at the end of last year. But his decision to join another club after spending years trying to lift the Tigers to a finals berth was met with overall positivity, unlike the ugly exits of stars such as Tedesco and Moses. But the NRL world still felt the joint venture's message of congratulations to Brooks was not a good look.

Finals berth Brooks has been waiting for

After a decade of frustration, Luke Brooks is so close to finals football that he can taste it, and his form is showing it. Brooks was the most dangerous player on the field as the Sea Eagles stitched together an impressive 46-24 win over the Raiders in Canberra on Saturday afternoon. The former Tigers veteran scored a smart solo try and had a hand in three others as the Manly speed machine blew the Raiders off their own field. Brooks and Manly are a perfect fit – he's taken a lot of the pressure off fellow 'old man' Daly Cherry-Evans, and has given Manly's pacey outside backs Tom Trbojevic, Jason Saab and Reuben Garrick time and space.

The Gus chat that helped convince Brooks to leave

Phil Gould has revealed a conversation he had with Luke Brooks that helped convince the maligned playmaker to end his Wests Tigers career. Brooks, 29, played 205 NRL games across a decade for the Concord club, but left the perennial battlers without a single finals appearance to his name. He was the one member of the club's "big four" who stayed on when a crippling exodus hit in 2017, watching close friends and teammates Mitchell Moses, James Tedesco, and Aaron Woods move on. The Tigers finished ninth in each of the two seasons immediately following that year, but then tumbled down the ladder to finish 11th and 13th before collecting the last two wooden spoons. As the highly-paid playmaker it was Brooks who copped much of the flak for those dismal results. Requests to leave the Tigers previously were rejected by the club, but they've now let him go to the Sea Eagles to begin a new football life. And it was Gould who played a part - however small - in convincing Brooks to leave. "There is not one person who's not cheering for him, everyone is cheering for him," Gould told Wide World of Sports' Six Tackles with Gus podcast. "I've always believed (he will do well). I always said it... Luke Brooks (was) not the problem with the Wests Tigers, the Wests Tigers could be the problem with Luke Brooks. "I honestly believe that. I think he's a talented player who's been harshly criticised over the years, and blamed for a lot of things that were outside his control. "I applauded his decision to change clubs. I actually had a conversation with him during that period and I said, 'look, you need to look after yourself now, you've done your best for the Tigers, you've stayed loyal when others haven't'. "He was the one who stayed loyal when others moved on to greener pastures, he stuck fat and he's copped a lot of the heat for it. "It was probably time for him to look after himself and I think the Manly opportunity is a really good one for him." Brooks will lace up for his first NRL game with the Sea Eagles this Sunday when they kick off the season against South Sydney in Las Vegas. Many punters and pundits are tipping Brooks to shine in new colours, and alongside representative halfback Daly Cherry-Evans who will shoulder much of the playmaking load. Gould believes Brooks will relish playing alongside Cherry-Evans, as well as gun fullback Tom Trbojevic - if the latter can stay fit. "Manly always prided themselves on their attacking football," Gould said. "I think he's going to be really good, I think he's going to suit playing with Cherry-Evans. "The key to them is Trbojevic, Tom. They are certainly a different outfit when he's not on the field. "But I'm certainly cheering for Luke Brooks... I want him to do well."

'Problem' threatening Sea Eagles if big gamble fails

The addition of Luke Brooks could make or break the Sea Eagles' finals campaign in 2024. Brooks has been much maligned at the Tigers for much of the past decade and a change of clubs could be the best thing for him - albeit late in his career. Brooks has plenty to offer with his speed and kicking game and if he is a success, he will take some of the playmaking pressure off fellow veteran Daly Cherry-Evans. But if the move doesn't work, coach Anthony Seibold will have a problem at No.6 and may have to move the enigmatic Josh Schuster back there from second row. Schuster has spent the summer preparing his body for a full- time move to the forwards so a switch back to the backline would not be ideal. The Sea Eagles have bolstered their backline - former Tiger Tommy Talau will challenge veteran Brad Parker for a centre spot and ex Rooster and Rabbitoh Jaxson Paulo adds depth to the wings. The forwards will be pretty much the same group that were hot some days, cold on others in 2023 although Corey Waddell will push for a spot in the 17 after moving from the Bulldogs. The aggressive Matt Lodge is still on the comeback trail from ACL surgery and will miss the opening rounds but should push for a spot in the pack once he returns.

Luke Brooks turns heads in huge statement for new club Manly

Manly fans are daring to dream after high profile signing Luke Brooks starred in the club's thumping pre-season trial win against South Sydney on Sunday. Brooks - often maligned across the course of his NRL career with the Wests - marked his first proper hit out for his new club with an impressive showing as the Sea Eagles thrashed a young and inexperienced Rabbitohs side 68-6 in Gosford. Brooks set up three tries in the first 40 minutes before being given an early mark his Manly winning 24-6 at halftime against a Bunnies side made up of mostly reserve grade players. The Sea Eagles and their fans will certainly have to temper their excitement after the huge win, with the South Sydney side they'll face in next month's NRL season opener in Las Vegas set to look nothing like the one they thrashed on Sunday. Nevertheless, it was a promising start to life at Manly for Brooks, who will have dreams of playing finals footy with the Sea Eagles in 2024, having never done so in 11 seasons at the Tigers. The crafty playmaker will be relishing the chance to combine with Maroons halfback and Manly skipper Daly Cherry-Evans - one of numerous big-name stars rested from the clash.The 29-year-old Brooks showed he's already got a good understanding with his new teammates and combined well with the likes of man-of-the-match Ben Trbojevic, who crossed for a first half hat-trick. Young gun Jamie Humphreys also impressed with two tries and could be pushing for a bench utility spot at Manly in 2024, but it was the performance of his new halves star that left Sea Eagles coach Anthony Seibold particularly happy.

One thing Manly X-factor 'must get out of his game'

After the disappointments of 2023, the Sea Eagles look leaner and meaner as they approach the start of the new season.But their success may all come down to the oldest and most experienced halfback combination in the NRL - Daly Cherry-Evans and Luke Brooks.The pair have over 500 NRL games between them, making them among the most seasoned playmaker pairings in the game's history. DCE has had massive pressure on his shoulders in recent years, having to carry the burden of the playmaking duties without an established number six beside him. Josh Schuster was tried with only mixed results last year along with the likes of Cooper Johns and Jake Arthur.Brooks is a polished performer who will appreciate the rise in class from a struggling Tigers team to a talented Manly outfit.The two should complement each other perfectly and drive Manly back towards the finals in coming months.

'Same old story' threatens to break Sea Eagles

After missing the finals last season, the Sea Eagles have made plenty of changes in personnel in a bid to shake things up at Brookvale.The most significant is the addition of much-maligned former Tigers halfback Luke Brooks - but it could prove a master-stroke.The move is a good one for Brooks and the Tigers - both needed a change after a decade of mediocrity.The speedy veteran's partnership with Daly Cherry-Evans will give Manly the most experienced halves combination in the NRL and Brooks may well take some of the playmaking pressure off DCE's shoulders.Fellow former Tigers Tommy Talau and Aitasi James are also handy gains, as are Roosters winger Jaxson Paulo and Bulldogs forward Corey Waddell.Overall the Sea Eagles' discipline was good last season - they were awarded the most penalties in the NRL (180) but didn't do enough when they had the football and the new faces should make a difference to their strike rate.Ultimately it will be the same old story at Brookvale - if Tom Trbojevic stays healthy, a finals berth awaits.With some different players around him and a fresh look to the team, a finals return is a big chance.

Ugly war between rivals erupts over 'mystery story'

Manly officials are fuming with Wests Tigers, believing the joint venture is running a clandestine campaign to de-rail the Sea Eagles' build-up for 2024.The two clubs have been doing plenty of business - Manly have signed Tigers duo Luke Brooks and Tommy Talau while the highly-rated young Fainu brothers have gone in the other direction.They have also swapped recruitment managers, with Scott Fulton moving to the Tigers and Manly poised to sign Warren McDonnell.But a rumour that hit the press last week — that the Sea Eagles are having salary cap problems after signing Brooks, Talau, and Roosters' winger Jaxson Paulo, as well as upgrading Josh Schuster, Tolutau Koula, Taniela Paseka, Kaeo Weekes, and Christian Tuipulotu — has Manly seeing red."We believe that the rumours started from the Tigers camp and they are just trying to cause trouble for us," a highly-placed Manly source told Wide World of Sports."We were only recently given a clean bill of health by the NRL regarding our salary cap and they even found some money we hadn't used."Yet this mystery story comes out that we have cap problems and it set off alarm bells with player managers we are dealing with."It's also upset our players with several thinking they will have to be moved on because we don't have room for them."It's dirty tricks and we won't be forgetting it."

Bennett adds to Tigers' woes in chase for star brothers

In another blow to the embattled Tigers, the Dolphins have emerged as the new favourites to sign brilliant young Manly brothers Latu and Samuela Fainu.The pair, currently at Manly, are regarded among the hottest young properties in rugby league.They were expected to follow highly-regarded recruitment manager Scott Fulton, who recently left the Sea Eagles for the Tigers.But in the wake of the Tigers' dismal showings in recent weeks, the pair are now leaning towards the Dolphins, according to a source close to the brothers.They have met with Wayne Bennett, and the Dolphins coach and rugby league guru made a big impression on the pair.Latu is a halfback and the Tigers believe he could be the long-term successor to Luke Brooks, who will move to Manly in 2024.He signed rugby league's all-time biggest contract by a teenager three years ago at the age of 16.Back-rower Samuela has already played a handful of top grade games for Manly in the back row this season and looks a likely prospect.The pair's older brother, Manase, was a classy hooker with the Sea Eagles before being jailed for stabbing a man in 2019.

Sheens lashes 'ridiculous' response to Brooks move

Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens has questioned the reaction behind Luke Brooks' move to Manly after the halfback signed a four-year deal, ending his long association with the club.Brooks has been maligned since debuting for the Tigers in 2013 and will seek a fresh start in 2024.Speaking to media on Thursday, Sheens was notably frustrated at questions around the departure of Brooks.Many reports have spoken of a rift between Tigers coaches, including assistant Benji Marshall, and head of recruitment Scott Fulton.Sheens addressed the speculation and stated "that's wrong" around whether the recruitment department played a major role in Brooks' departure."There was no divide about wanting Brooksy to stay, the issue is he decided to go," he said."I think there's more money involved and other things, we have to live with that, these things come and go, every year that happens to heaps of clubs and heaps of players."He's made his choice, I'm happy for him."Throughout the past few seasons, the Tigers and Brooks have been hit with criticism from many quarters, having not played finals since 2011, during Sheens' previous stint as head coach.The club saw talented juniors Aaron Woods, James Tedesco and Mitchell Moses all leave in 2017, which has been a point of major criticism over the years.After Manly received mostly positive praise for the signing of Brooks, Sheens found the coverage confusing. "There's papers now saying what a great buy he is for Manly and I'm sure it's the same papers who were saying he's hopeless, so that's ridiculous," he said. After receiving a number of questions around Brooks and reported rifts in the club, the Tigers coach also clarified the role of recruitment staff and coaches when pursuing and retaining players."The coaches make recommendations, the amount of money the club has with salary cap and all of that weighs in on that," he said."You'd like to think the coach gets what he wants."

DCE retirement theory explains Manly buys

Phil Gould has applauded Luke Brooks for putting himself first and switching to Manly, as the Canterbury Bulldogs supremo predicts the future of Daly Cherry-Evans may change soon.At 34, Cherry-Evans is in the twilight of his career, but is playing some of his best football after leading Queensland to another State of Origin series victory.The Manly halfback will attempt to rescue his side's season when his duties with the Maroons end, with the Sea Eagles currently 13th on the ladder.The club's signing of Luke Brooks on a four-year-deal seemingly offers them a replacement when Cherry-Evans retires, and Gould believes that won't be too far off. "I can't see Cherry-Evans going much beyond next year, if he plays next year," he said on Wide World of Sports' Six Tackles with Gus podcast."I'm not saying I have any information on that, he's going terrific but you don't have to go until you're absolutely burned out before you retire."He's right on top of his game at the moment but he's 34 years of age."Gould went on to state the shrewd business from Manly has given them plenty of cover in a market where the halfback stocks are depleted or overpriced."The insurance for Brooks by staying for four years (is good business), he'll be 32 when he comes off this contract, which a lot of our top halfbacks are at least that, and more, at the moment," he said."You go out and try and buy one ... they're hard to come by and they're extremely expensive."I think it's a great buy and I think he'll do a great job and I'm very, very happy for Luke Brooks and I think the best part of his career is in front of him."Brooks' signature with Manly ends his long association with the Tigers, having debuted at the club in 2013.

Real Reason Brooks Rejected Tigers

So why did Luke Brooks reject the Tigers' offer of a three-year contract extension that would have almost certainly seen him finish his career a one-club man?The truth is Brooks virtually had no option as the Tigers' offer was less than half the money he is currently on.Brooks is on a $1.15m a season deal - money that is too high for the way he has been playing - and the Tigers offer was more around $550,000 a year.The much-maligned halfback will now test the market but rival clubs won't offer him much more than the Tigers have despite his improved form in recent weeks.

Tigers' move after Brooks rejection blasted

Phil Gould has come out swinging at the Wests Tigers over their treatment of Luke Brooks as the halfback prepares to test himself on the open market.Brooks recently rejected a three-year deal with the Tigers, and could become an attractive option for a number of NRL and overseas clubs, including Gould's Canterbury Bulldogs. Having played 202 games for the club, the halfback has played some of the best football of his career in the last month but could still leave after a tough few seasons.Gould believes the rejection doesn't mean he's definitely heading out the door, stating it's the "first time in his life he has stood up for himself". "I think he just needs more thinking music, I don't think it's a fait accompli that he won't stay at the Tigers, he just needs more thinking music," he said on Nine's 100% Footy.The Canterbury Bulldogs general manager said a pivotal moment in 2017 when James Tedesco, Aaron Woods and Mitchell Moses all left the Tigers has played a significant role in Brooks' turbulent time at the club."At a very important time in his career, and the Tigers history, they lost Tedesco, Mitchell Moses and Aaron Woods ... three of them went, and left him in charge," he said."Not only did they leave him in charge they went out and bought really badly, didn't they?"They screwed up their salary cap with a heap of buys that did nothing for them and he was the front bat and I kept saying during that time, Luke Brooks is not the problem with Wests Tigers, Wests Tigers is the problem with Luke Brooks."I think at a very important time in his career he was left on his own, that could've been a really formidable young group with Tedesco and Mitchell Moses and Luke Brooks who were coming through as kids together and I think that was a real opportunity lost for that club, they should never have lost those players."At 28 years old, Gould believes Brooks still has some of his best football in front of him."So as soon as someone starts to believe in that (his best years are ahead), and he needs to believe in that himself, whether he does or not I don't know, then Luke Brooks can have a really great back end of his career," he said."He's a 28 year old with 200 NRL games under his belt and I think he's a talented player, I think there should be a number of clubs having a look at that, there's very few of them (halfbacks) around."Gould explained Brooks shouldn't feel to indebted to the Tigers after the club previously expressed interest in signing Shaun Johnson and Mitchell Pearce as replacements.

What Benji's Pearce text means for broken star

The Wests Tigers circus took another tumble on Thursday with the club making an unsuccessful bid to sign veteran halfback Mitchell Pearce.Pearce, 34, is playing for Catalans in Super League and was contacted by Tigers assistant coach Benji Marshall on Wednesday.But in a text message to News Corp from France, Pearce said: "I don't really have much to say. Benji called me yesterday and I told him I'm contracted to Catalans."We are top of the table and I want to win a comp in Super League. That's pretty much it."The news comes as another dagger to the heart of embattled Tigers halfback Luke Brooks.The Tigers are 0-4 to start the season, Brooks is struggling for form and copping it from fans and media - and now learns the club wants to sign a veteran to take his place.If Brooks' confidence was low on Wednesday, it is now under ground.To add to his woes, the Tigers face the prospect of another flogging from the in-form Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp this weekend.The only thing in Brooks' favour is that head coach Tim Sheens retains confidence in the polarising halfback.Sheens has declared since the pre-season that Brooks still has what it takes and has stuck by the local junior throughout the early rounds despite his patchy form.

Brooks-Klemmer swap deal off

The Luke Brooks/David Klemmer swap between the Knights and the Tigers is officially off - with a twist.The Tigers aren't prepared to swap a halfback for a front-rower - it's bad business in an era where list management makes or breaks clubs.But the twist is that BOTH could be playing for the Tigers in 2023 - and Brooks may well be a Knight by 2024.The Tigers are short of experienced big men and Klemmer wants out of Newcastle, so the dominoes may well fall into place there.Incoming Tigers coach Tim Sheens is a big Brooks fan and wants to coach the veteran No.7, but his contract expires at the end of next season and the Knights see him as a priority.Talks are ongoing - and the picture should get a lot clearer by November 1 when players are allowed to negotiate for 2024.

Training injury could sideline Tigers star for season

A training injury could sideline Wests Tigers star Luke Brooks for the rest of the 2022 season.Brooks injured his calf on Wednesday and is being sent for scans, with the Sydney Morning Herald reporting an initial expectation of 4-6 weeks on the sideline.Given the Tigers are last on the ladder with no chance of making the finals, and with five matches remaining after Saturday's game against Brisbane, there seems little reason to rush the 27-year-old back onto the field."It hasn't been confirmed until the doc gives us a report today, but he isn't playing this weekend or travelling with the team," Tigers head of football, Tim Sheens, told the Herald."Apparently he has had the same injury in the past. If it ends up being a bad one it can be four to six weeks and the season is gone really in that regard."We will have to wait for confirmation on that from the doc. We'll get the scan back today and we're a bit at sea until we get that."The Tigers are yet to name a replacement for Brooks, although Jock Madden is the favourite to start at halfback.It's been a tumultuous week for the club, following Sunday's 27-26 loss to the Cowboys, with the NRL admitting on Monday that the match-winning penalty should not have been awarded to North Queensland.

Knights Still Hot on Luke Brooks

Starford To'a's move from Newcastle to the Tigers last week has re-ignited talk of halfback Luke Brooks moving the other way.The Knights remain keen on Brooks - but the Tigers are refusing to entertain talk of a release."Luke is training the house down and working really well with (new signing) Jackson Hastings," a Tigers source told me."We are really keen to see the two of them combining out there once the season starts."

Brooks bombshell as star Tiger on the move

The Tigers want to keep him - but Luke Brooks' move to Newcastle is all but a done deal.The Knights have been searching for an experienced replacement for Super League bound Mitchell Pearce and seem certain to have come up with their man in 26-year-old Brooks.Brooks has been with the Tigers since 2013 but has yet to steer the club to a finals series.But club officials still see the 2018 Dally M halfback of the year as one of the NRL's leading number sevens and both coach Michael Maguire and incoming football manager Tim Sheens wanted Brooks to stay on board for the final two years of his contract.But sources have told Wide World of Sports that Brooks is ready for a change of scenery.The lure of playing alongside boom youngster Kayln Ponga is also believed to have been an attraction for Brooks.Brooks shares the same management as Newcastle coach Adam O'Brien, another major factor in the likely move.Pearce is off to French club Catalans next season, ending a mixed stint with the Knights.