The Luke Brooks Book Thread.

[eagleron]

facts are facts

Take a positive pill dude, we desperately need change. This may turn out to be a master-stroke, until we see the outcome of this signing I'll continue to live in hope

 

[The Royal Soup]

Take a positive pill dude, we desperately need change. This may turn out to be a master-stroke, until we see the outcome of this signing I'll continue to live in hope

we shall see

 

[Under the Sticks]

That all makes sense to me, but nothing that’s happening at the moment makes much sense, maybe a shot at a premiership could be just enticing enough.

@bringbackbeaver @Rafferty I agree with you both but nothing is making sense at the moement and don't dismiss the drive for a preimiership from an ageing player. Let's just hope Ben Hunt moves to the Titan's with a broken down Foz.

 

[winnyason]

As bas as it gets really this place is ****ed

 

[Seagles68]

N

I nominate Babbling Brooks.

Need to see him in one of the pre game interview videos first.

 

[Budgie]

Wow, this has really got much hysteria coming out of the henhouse!

What were you all thinking next year should look like ... more agony hoping Schu would shine or an 18 year old who's barely played NSW Cup carrying the team to victory.

I'm sure DCE was a big part of this decision and I bloody love it!

 

[court83]

I actually don’t mind it…
Brooks has talent.. he just isn’t the player you want to be the sole point of attack… I think if he plays outside of dce you will get the best footy out of the kid that he’s ever played..
And it schuster doesn’t wanna play lock/backrow… then pack ya bags, because he adds absolutely nothing to the club wearing the 6 jersey..

 

[bringbackbeaver]

Wow, this has really got much hysteria coming out of the henhouse!

What were you all thinking next year should look like ... more agony hoping Schu would shine or an 18 year old who's barely played NSW Cup carrying the team to victory.

I'm sure DCE was a big part of this decision and I bloody love it!

100% , people carrying on like we have let Cam Smith's better son go... I am very happy to see some big decisions being made so we don't have another season like this year or last.

 

[Eagle 1]

Maybe he's still got that old Titans contract in his back pocket, never too late to backflip on his backflip

mate, any things possible now. Question marks over the Shyster, where to play him. Benji says he doesn't want him, changed his mind I guess. And as regards to the Finu's....I'm all finued out tbh..

 

[Rafferty]

@bringbackbeaver @Rafferty I agree with you both but nothing is making sense at the moement and don't dismiss the drive for a preimiership from an ageing player. Let's just hope Ben Hunt moves to the Titan's with a broken down Foz.

That’s the point I was making, could you image the high from SOO, then coming back to this rabble, pretty obvious which clubs on the rise and where the best opportunity to finish on a high lies.

I feel sorry for Chez he deserves better than what’s happening at present and another point his a smart fella and has a future pretty much anywhere he pleases in Rugby League, why would he even want to coach there are far more attractive opportunities.

 

[eagleron]

If true, surely this means Schuster is going to the Tigers.

Apparently the Tigs have said they're no longer interested in Schuster

 

[The Who]

I actually don’t mind it…
Brooks has talent.. he just isn’t the player you want to be the sole point of attack… I think if he plays outside of dce you will get the best footy out of the kid that he’s ever played..
And it schuster doesn’t wanna play lock/backrow… then pack ya bags, because he adds absolutely nothing to the club wearing the 6 jersey..

How can we afford Brooks? Unless he would accept half his current salary.
We already have Turbo, Jurbo, DCE and The Shoe on top salaries...
Maybe Penn has discovered Easts' sombrero?

 

[Seagles68]

Maybe he's still got that old Titans contract in his back pocket, never too late to backflip on his backflip

Well the Olympics are going to be in Queensland.

 

[HK_Eagle]

How can we afford Brooks? Unless he would accept half his current salary.
We already have Turbo, Jurbo, DCE and The Shoe on top salaries...
Maybe Penn has discovered Easts' sombrero?

BOZO will be stoked. He's been banging on about the need for salary cap cheating creativity, like the Rorters, for years.

 

[Blake]

Its pretty obvious whats going on here.
We're trying to replicate the ''Big 4"

2 down, 2 to go...

 

[mickqld]

I think this a fantastic decision. We get a quality #6 to compliment DCE for $670K. Move Schu to hooker, move Jake to fullback to cover Tom, move Olakau'atu to the wing then move.......

 

[Ralphie]

I feel sick...............

https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/luke-brooks-signs-with-manly-sea-eagles/news-story/bbbb1cf63b56926a5b4e9a4a4199b942

 

[The Royal Soup]

ok i’m coming around to this idea

DCE is a warrior and could play 3/4 more years easy

brooks with him in the halves will be good

Just need to boot schuster tho, he’s not worth the cash he wants and even if we put him in the back row he is still a turnstile

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

The thing I like is that it is a total shock. Same as the permission for Latu to negotiate. Whether I like those developments or not (haven't even had time yet to work that out!) it is nice to know big things are happening, even though there was no warning sign, no public whispers.
Means that someone at the club is at least attempting to do something!

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

I think the Brooks signing may be a huge coup, and he’ll work well with DCE.

I think Mestrov may be playing ‘hard ball’ with Tartak.

Mestrov is a hard nosed GM, and won’t stuff around with recalcitrant player managers, and he’ll have the ear of other GM’s as well. The sooner Tartak gets out of the ‘player manager’ game, all the better in my opinion.

Seibold may also have finally decided Schu’s best position is in the back row, where he played so well, when not injured. Other coaches (NSW juniors) have also thought so. ‘You may be going to be the best player in the NRL, but not at 5/8.

Or, maybe Mestrov is just ….. with Tartak.

Thanks to Scott Fulton, we have quite a few Tartak managed players, and Mestrov has already let several go, and it seems he may be ‘swabbing the decks’ of Tartak. GCKT, Saab, Olakau'atu, and others, may well join the ‘exit lounge’.

I think Humphries is definitely being groomed as a Hooker, and from the weekend, he is adapting well.

I’m disappointed Myers is leaving, however, that may be on compassionate grounds.

If it’s part of a broader strategy to cut these player-managers down to size (and other clubs follow suit) it could be a very good move.

Hopefully we seem some official announcements shortly, not just newspaper speculation. Like this from Danny Weidler and Dan Walsh at the SMH:

Luke Brooks to link with Manly on four-year deal​

By Danny Weidler and Dan Walsh​

Luke Brooks is set to join the Sea Eagles on a four-year deal from next season.

As reported by this masthead, the Wests Tigers five-eighth has been targeted to partner Daly Cherry-Evans at the scrum base, with a long-term deal since being negotiated.

Brooks recently knocked back a three-year extension from the Tigers, worth about $600,000 annually, to test his value on the open market after 11 seasons at his junior club.​

At 28, he has long been a lightning rod for criticism at the joint-venture, having never played finals in a 200-plus game career.

By the same token, Brooks had been in impressive form until suffering a hamstring injury three weeks ago, with Tigers coach Tim Sheens and his successor Benji Marshall both keen to retain the playmaker.

Brooks ranks as one of the highest earners in the game this year on a back-ended deal worth more than $1 million this season, but has long been prepared to take a significant pay-cut on his next contract.

Luke Brooks is expected to land at Manly.CREDIT: GETTY

Brooks’ prospective signing continues upheaval on the Northern Beaches as a swap deal that sends Latu Fainu to the Tigers and outside back Tommy Talau in the opposite direction remains on the table.

The bid for Brooks raises queries around Josh Schuster, though a three-year extension offer has been tabled to keep him at Manly.

Schuster has previously pushed to be the Sea Eagles’ first-choice five-eighth with veteran Keiran Foran linking with the Gold Coast last year to accommodate the 22-year-old.

Schuster’s middling returns and fitness struggles have raised questions about his place in the halves, though Manly have regularly maintained he is still in their long-term plans.

This masthead reported on Sunday that interest from the Tigers in securing Schuster has been knocked on the head by Marshall.

The club’s new recruitment boss Scott Fulton has close ties with Schuster, the Fainu family and several other Manly players after scouting them to the club.

He had told club officials that he would be well-placed to entice Schuster to the Tigers if they wanted to pursue his signature.

However, Marshall, who will take charge of the club as Sheens’ successor in 2025, has told the club that Schuster is not the answer to the Tigers’ halves dilemma.