NRL Agenda: Wests Tigers targets after Luke Brooks’ shock exit, Roosters attacking woes exposed

Luke Brooks and his $1m salary will not be at Wests Tigers next year – giving the NRL strugglers a mighty war chest to attract playmakers. But who could they splash the cash on?

Possible Luke Brooks replacements at Wests Tigers; Luke Metcalf, Tom Dearden and Jack Cogger.

Wests Tigers halves conundrum deepens after Luke Brooks rejects an extension deal, as Tim Sheens faces a tough selection in a key spine position.

While, the Sydney Roosters slump to the NRL’s worst attack.

We take a look at the talking points ahead of round 16.

Market Mover – Luke Brooks

As the Wests Tigers head into Saturday’s clash against Melbourne, Tim Sheens and Benji Marshall have to ask what does life without Luke Brooks look like?

After 11 seasons, Brooks has told the club he won’t be taking up an extension offer to stay in Concord, which after a tumultuous 18 months for the 28-year old is the right move for his career.

Possible Luke Brooks replacements at Wests Tigers: Luke Metcalf, Tom Dearden and Jack Cogger.

Already, the club has shown its hand as wanting to add a veteran playmaker to its roster.

Earlier this year, Marshall reached out to premiership winner Mitchell Pearce and the club met with Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson. Both are 34-years old and in the twilight of their careers.

But a younger half that a side could be built around into the future, and one able to help bring through the club’s crop of rising playmakers like Iverson Matai and Lachlan Galvin, could be a better move for the Tigers.

A slew of options will hit the market on November 1 including Luke Metcalf, Talatau Amone and Tom Dearden. Penrith’s Jack Cogger is available from season 2024.

Metcalf was brought to the Warriors as a long term halves option but the club has a surplus of playmakers with Johnson, Ronald Volkman, Te Maire Martin and Chanel Harris-Tavita, who is returning next season, on the roster.

Luke Metcalf faces stiff competition in the halves at the Warriors. Picture: Getty

In house, the Tigers have talent in their halves ranks but the likes of Galvin and Heath Mason – from the Western Suburbs Magpies title winning 2022 Harold Matthews outfit – are only 18-years old. Mason is a fullback but could still transition into the halves.

Other prospects include 19-year old SG Ball halfback Matai, who has an astute kicking and passing game.

While the club wants to progress the likes of Galvin and Matai into the NRL system, realistically they won’t be ready until 2025 at the earliest.

But the Brooks conundrum is one piece of the Tigers’ halves puzzle. Brandom Wakeham is unsigned for next season, while five-eighth Adam Doueihi is still 10 months from making a return after another ACL injury.

ORIGIN WATCH – PAYNE HAAS

Brisbane big man Payne Haas is almost unstoppable in the Maroon of the Broncos but in the Blue of NSW the forward’s impact has seemingly struggled to translate in the Origin arena.

At least that is the thinking of some NSW fans.

The Brisbane prop put in a superhuman effort against the Newcastle Knights last weekend with almost 200 metres, 55 post contact metres, eight tackle busts, four offloads and 41 tackles.

But the most important number was the time he spent on the field against the Knights, a huge 70 minutes.

Haas has a huge engine, and that was a part of his game that wasn’t utilised to its fullest in Origin game one at Adelaide Oval.

Coach Brad Fittler only used Haas for around 50 minutes. For Haas to have his biggest impact at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday week, the powerhouse prop needs to be spend more time on the field.

Is Payne Haas getting enough minutes to do his best work for NSW? Picture: Getty

SELECTION CALL – TALLYN DA SILVA

Blooding a teenager into the NRL is always a move fraught with risks for a coach. But that is the call Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens has to make on rising hooker Tallyn Da Silva. The 18-year old is viewed as the long term dummy half at the club and next in line after Api Koroisau and Jake Simpkin.

But with Koroisau sidelined with a broken jaw and Simpkin told he could look elsewhere, Da Silva is primed for a debut call-up this weekend against the Melbourne Storm.

De Silva is one the Tigers’ brightest prospects from a group of local junior talent turning heads in the club’s pathways system.

With the Tigers unlikely to push for finals contention, now might be the best time to bring Da Silva into the NRL fold, where he can acclimatise to football at the elite level without the pressure of expectation.

18-year-old Tallyn Da Silva darts out of dummy half while playing SG Ball earlier this year. Picture: Thomas Lisson.

ROOSTERS ATTACK FAILING TO CROW

Trent Robinson’s side goes into Saturday’s clash against Newcastle in the unfamiliar position of having the worst attack in the NRL.

The Roosters are averaging 2.3 tries per game, worse than rebuild clubs Wests Tigers (2.7 tries PG) and Canterbury (2.8 tries PG).

Robinson pulled the pin on the Joey Manu five-eighth experiment during last weekend’s loss to Penrith, admitting it wasn’t working.

With Sam Walker still weeks away from returning from a knee injury, rookie Sandon Smith could be named in the halves even though Robinson has resisted rushing the youngster.

But shifting Manu back to centre and trying Smith in the halves could only further hurt the side’s search for fluency and cohesion in attack.

Despite that risk Robinson conceded his side ‘are not firing enough bullets’ and the coach might need to fire some of his own when selecting his outfit this weekend, starting with Smith.

Sitili Tupouniua has been charged with the No.13 role in Victor Radley’s absence but recruit Nathan Brown, a career lock, could be a better option in that jumper this weekend given his bursts of aggression and ability to move the ball around.