Door swings wide open on Newcastle’s $1m dream team

Another piece has fallen into line for Newcastle to pull off its raid for Wests Tigers star Luke Brooks in a major player market twist.

NRL 2022 RD19 North Queensland Cowboys v Wests Tigers - Luke Brooks. Picture: NRL Photos

Newcastle’s dream line-up is coming together with another piece of the club’s pursuit of Wests Tigers star Luke Brooks falling into place.

The Knights are the biggest player in the NRL transfer market right now with the club linked to several high-profile recruitment raids.

Manly this week rejected Newcastle’s reported approach to flyer Reuben Garrick, refusing to let the goalkicker leave with a full season to run on his contract.

Manly has instead reportedly tabled a four-year extension in order to stop the winger from joining the Knights. Newcastle is reported to be chasing Garrick as its preferred option to play fullback next year — a move that would free-up Kalyn Ponga to switch to five-eighth.

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The Knights confirmed more news overnight with playmaker Jake Clifford departing to take up a deal with Hull FC in the Super League.

That departure reportedly frees up around $400,000 on the Knights’ salary cap for 2023 — further opening the door for Brooks to walk in.

Newcastle has been chasing Brooks on and off for almost two years and he has on several occasions requested to be released by the Tigers.

Incoming Tigers coach Tim Sheens previously said he wouldn’t release Brooks, who is set to pocket more than $1 million next season with his contract expiring at the end of 2023.

The Daily Telegraph’s Michael Carayannis said on Thursday the Knights don’t appear to have anywhere else to turn outside of Brooks as the club searches for a dominant halfback.

The Knights also have Tyson Gamble and Adam Clune on their roster for 2023.

Veteran journalist Phil Rothfield said earlier this month a deal between Brooks and the Knights is expected to be completed before the start of the 2023 season.

“I think he’s going,” Rothfield told Sky Racing’s Big Sports Breakfast on Monday.

Luke Brooks takes a punt. Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images.

“I know he’s got a year to go on his contract and I know it’s worth about $900,000 but the Newcastle Knights are absolutely desperate to sign him and they’re throwing everything at him.

“The reason being Kalyn Ponga will play five-eighth for the Knights next year but he can’t do it on his own, they need to do something about their spine.

“They don’t have a halfback and they’re trying to work out a deal with the Wests Tigers that suits all parties and I think it will happen. Tim Sheens is in the UK at the moment but I’m pretty sure Luke Brooks will be heading to Newcastle.”

Rothfield suggested the Tigers could be willing to let Brooks go because they have Jackson Hastings as an option to partner Adam Doueihi in the halves.

“Jackson Hastings is specialist at halfback, that’s where he played in England and that’s where he played strong, I know he’s a lot bigger now and he’s played a bit of lock forward towards the end of the year but he is a specialist halfback,” Rothfield said.

“He could train the offseason to play specialist halfback, you’d have Doueihi at five-eighth.

“I don’t think they’ve got too many problems in that area, the bottom line is the Wests Tigers being a club down the bottom of the ladder need to be getting the most supreme value out of their salary cap.

“If you’re going to be paying someone $900,000 a season you need that player turning up every week, you need him performing every week and you need him leading the club.

“It hasn’t worked with Brooks over a long period of time at the Wests Tigers so I’m not surprised at all they’re now offering him a release to Newcastle.”

Brooks in April committed to the final year of his contract with the Tigers despite having previously admitted he was enticed by the prospect of working with Andrew Johns at Newcastle.