How a greedy Brooks can save the Tigers
LUKE Brooks has never seen the movie Wall Street, but a few discussions with returning coach Tim Sheens has helped him realise that greed is good when it comes to running a team.
The halfback enters the final year of his contract with plenty of pressure on him to end the club’s finals drought that dates back to 2011 before he had even made his debut.
But there’s a cautious optimism that Brooks is ready to produce his best under Sheens, with a focus on his running game to unlock his best asset.
The 28-year-old burst onto the scene because of his running game and scored 16 tries in his first two full seasons. Those numbers, however, have dried up entirely, with Brooks managing just 16 tries in his past five seasons playing behind a struggling forward pack.
Brooks and halves partner Adam Doueihi each had three line breaks in 2022, with the halfback averaging just 5.1 runs per game for his worst output since 2016 (4.2).
It’s why Sheens has encouraged him to run as often as possible, with Brooks declaring this pre-season is the most excited he’s been as the club heads in the right direction.
“He spoke to me about being greedier, especially close to the line with running the ball and scoring tries,” Brooks said. “He spoke to me a lot about scoring more tries, and that’s something I want to do because I haven’t scored too many lately. He wants me to run the ball and play my natural game.”
A more confident approach with the ball is exactly what the Tigers need after they scored the fewest points last season and played a style of rugby league that was hard to watch at times.
That’s why Sheens’ return is so important, with the veteran coach desperate to take his side back to the glory days when they played a unique style of footy that helped them win the 2005 premiership.
A new-look pack led by David Klemmer, John Bateman and Isaiah Papali’i will lay a platform for Brooks, who will get great service from incoming hooker Api Koroisau, who brings plenty of experience and premiership talent to the ruck.