Luke Brooks is shining light for Nathan Cleary in how to deal with pressure

While the focus this week has been on coach Ivan Cleary’s first game against the club he walked out on, and the struggling form of his No.7 and son, another key player has dodged the spotlight.

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As much as I feel sorry for Nathan Cleary this week, I can’t help but feel good for Luke Brooks.

For mine, this is why Brooks is now the shining light for Cleary to follow. Because in all the hoo-ha of the Clearys coming up against the Wests Tigers in Friday night’s grudge match in Penrith, Brooks is the forgotten man.

The way Brooks has dealt with past situations throughout his own career could serve as a valuable lesson to his under-fire Penrith rival.

While the focus this week has been on coach Ivan Cleary’s first game against the club he walked out on, and the struggling form of his No.7 and son, Brooks has dodged the spotlight.

But it was a different story last year after Ivan publicly conceded he wanted to one day coach Nathan.

At the time everyone naturally assumed it would happen at the Tigers, and there was really little sympathy given to how that would impact on Brooks’ career.

But how Brooks dealt with it should be massively underscored.

Luke Brooks in action for Wests Tigers. Picture: AAP

I was reading back over a story of when Brooks was asked before the Tigers played Penrith last year what impact Nathan’s potential arrival could have on his place in the side.

Brooks answered the question with a grin: “I mean, I’d also think my dad would choose me over him … or I would hope he would.”

Instead of throwing up his hands in frustration, Brooks rose to the challenge.

That said as much about his character as his footballing ability. While Nathan Cleary went on to play State of Origin last year, Brooks finished the season as the Dally M halfback of the year, finally jumping out of the giant shadow that clouded his early years when it was fair to say he hadn’t progressed in five seasons.

Just like Cleary, Brooks had to deal with a lot of unfair expectation that started before he arrived in the NRL. Even when he was playing under-20s, there were comparisons being made between Brooks and Andrew Johns. By his own admission, it was something he struggled with for years.

When Brooks made his debut late in 2013, he was voted man of the match in a game against St George Illawarra.

Everyone just expected his career to head for greatness.

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In the years that followed, Brooks’ football plateaued playing alongside Mitchell Moses. There was a feeling Brooks would never reach the heights expected of him.

But when Moses moved to Parramatta, it gave Brooks control of the team. Under Ivan Cleary’s coaching, it was the best thing that happened to him.

Even when Cleary fuelled the conversation about coaching his son, Brooks never allowed it to get the better of him. He just kept his head down and worked on improving his game. The end result was he had his best season.

So now the pressure has moved on to Nathan Cleary — two years behind Brooks in their career timelines — and a lot of it is extremely unfair.

Nathan Cleary and Ivan Cleary chat during a Panthers training session ahead of their match against Wests Tigers. Picture. Phil Hillyard

What Cleary has achieved for a 21-year-old halfback is quite astonishing — he has played in three consecutive finals series and claimed the NSW No.7 jumper.

He has done that with a combination of class, on and off the field, and with composure and a temperament rarely seen in a playmaker so young.

Yet now, after three average games to start the season in a team that is struggling around him, everyone seems to be pointing at Cleary for being the problem.

As though he’s not allowed to go through a flat stage many of the best halfbacks face. Like Brooks. Like Anthony Milford, who — as the Broncos’ highest-paid player — has not repeated (consistently) the form of his first (grand final) year at Brisbane.

Like Ash Taylor, now the Titans’ highest-paid star, who has had to carry the burden of Matthew Johns predicting he will become the best player in the game.

Ivan Cleary made an interesting comment last week in the media conference after the loss to Melbourne.

When asked about taking on the Tigers this week, he brushed it off by saying it didn’t bother him because he wasn’t going to be playing. But Nathan is.

Nathan Cleary is feeling the pressure at Penrith. Picture: AAP

And so is Brooks, who has endured those lofty expectations, the slump in form, the criticism, the “overrated tag” and the rest — before finally taking his game to the next level.

Nathan Cleary has the same opportunity, but regardless of what happens Friday night, it will not define his career.

While we all get obsessed with the extra focus and pressure that this same coach actually happens to be the halfback’s dad, perhaps we forget the added bonus the Cleary combination offers.

It is a negative and a positive.

At the moment, we seem preoccupied with the negative.

This is a rare chance for a coach to have a playmaker that he completely believes in and a halfback who has all the incentive to never let his coach down — in an open relationship that appears to be as honest as it is strong.

It might take many weeks and many more performances, it might even take another season, to truly judge where Nathan’s career is heading under his dad.

But you certainly can’t judge it in three weeks. Just like the coming of age of Brooks, we all have to accept it will take time.