Wests Tigers Luke Brooks and Mitch Moses are NRL’s worst defensive halves

DESPITE being hailed the Next Big Things of rugby league, the Tigers young guns sit second and third on the NRL list for most missed tackles in 2015.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 22: Luke Brooks of the Tigers looks dejected after a Rabbitohs try during the round three NRL match between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Wests Tigers at ANZ Stadium on March 22, 2015 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

WESTS Tigers halves Luke Brooks and Mitchell Moses were supposed to set turnstiles spinning this season — yet instead it’s them being spun.

Despite being hailed the Next Big Things of rugby league, the Tigers young guns sit second and third on the NRL list for most missed tackles in 2015.

While Roosters No. 6 James Maloney is the worst offender, with 40 misses, halfback Brooks (33) and rookie partner Moses (32) are next, with rival sides heavily targeting the pair who both weigh under 90kg.

Indeed, of the 20 players who have missed 25 tackles or more so far this year, 2012 Australian Schoolboy Moses has been asked to do more work defensively than all but three of them.

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Brooks has proven himself to be more adept at breaking tackles than making them.

Apart from boasting the most misses of any NRL halves combination, the Tigers pair also sit higher individually than even unwanted Eel Chris Sandow — whose ongoing struggles have seen him punted to NSW Cup.

Yet despite their defensive struggles, the duo continue to show plenty of promise in attack, with Moses producing a strong performance in his sides 22-12 loss to Newcastle at Hunter Stadium last Sunday afternoon.

Despite playing behind a pack that was comprehensively out-muscled, Tigers coach Jason Taylor described the 80kg playmaker’s game as “great” — while also saying the long kicking game of both halves kept his outfit in the contest for much longer than they should have been.

Yet while the joint-venture club has now lost four of its past five, they will start favourites this Saturday at Campbelltown when they face a North Queensland side missing four Origin superstars.

While the Tigers will themselves be without skipper Robbie Farah and prop Aaron Woods, both in camp with NSW, the Cowboys are missing Jonathan Thurston, James Tamou, Matt Scott and Michael Morgan.

Mitch Moses has emerged as a target in defence.

As a result, the TAB has listed the Tigers $1.48 favourites, with one punter dropping $8700 on them when they were $1.60. The Cowboys, meanwhile, have drifted to $2.70.

“In the past three years the Cowboys have been the worst performing side dirung the Origin affected rounds,” TAB spokesman Glenn Munsie said.

“This week they’ll be missing Thurston, Morgan, Scott and Tamou. So it’s no surprise the Tigers are popular for the match at Campbelltown — even without Farah and Woods.”

Regardless of the odds, expect North Queensland to target the Tigers halves when attacking — especially near the tryline.

According to Fox Sports Statistics, the youngsters have missed a combined 65 tackles in 10 rounds.

Next worst is Roosters pairing Maloney and Mitchell Pearce (60), followed by Parramatta Eels duo Sandow and Corey Norman (55).

Locked in equal fourth with 49 misses, are Gold Coast Titans Aidan Sezer and Kane Elgey plus star Cowboys Thurston and Morgan.

Originally published as Wests Tigers Luke Brooks and Mitch Moses are NRL’s worst defensive halves