NRL 2023: Departing Wests Tigers star Luke Brooks’ revealing statement in wake of Sheens exit

With the rugby league world still in shock over Tim Sheens’ sudden Wests Tigers exit, departing halfback Luke Brooks made a telling admission that highlights the problems gripping the club.

Departing Tigers halfback Luke Brooks (L) admits he doesn’t know who is actually calling the shots at Wests. Picture: AAP.

Departing halfback Luke Brooks had a parting dig for club bosses, making the stunning revelation that he doesn’t know who is calling the shots at the Wests Tigers.

In the wake of Tim Sheens’ shock departure at season’s end, with rookie head coach Benji Marshall to take over, Brooks took aim at the club’s administration for the constant off-field turmoil at Concord.

When asked if there had been people in charge that haven’t acted in the club’s best interest, Brooks replied: “To be honest, I don’t really know who makes the decisions here, so it’s hard to say.”

The Tigers are facing 12-straight seasons without a finals appearance, and consecutive wooden spoons, after another disappointing year.

Brooks said club powerbrokers needed to get on the ‘same page’ if the club wanted to turn things around.

Departing Tigers halfback Luke Brooks (L) admits he doesn’t know who is actually calling the shots at Wests. Picture: AAP.

“Just everyone being on the same page and making the right decisions for the club to go forward, and having the club‘s best interest in those decisions,” Brooks said.

Club bosses had put a contract deadline on Brooks to make a decision about his future, which ultimately sealed his move to Manly in 2024.

“I think it was (a deal breaker). When they did that it made my mind up,” Brooks said.

“That’s all done now and there’s nothing we can do. We’ve moved on and I’m just looking forward to finishing the year.”

Brooks’ parting shot is a culmination of endless turmoil at Concord over the last 18 months, starting with the axing of coach Michael Maguire.

More recently, tensions between Marshall and new recruitment boss Scott Fulton have dominated the headlines.

On Thursday, it was also revealed assistant coaches Robbie Farah and David Furner were involved in a “robust discussion” after last weekend’s loss to the Warriors.

Brooks and his Wests Tigers teammates, who take one the Dolphins on Saturday, arrived at training on Wednesday morning to the news that Sheens would be standing down.

Brooks has played under five different head coaches during his 11-year tenure at the Tigers.

For Manly-bound Brooks Sheens’ departure did not come as a surprise.

“There’s always something going on. I guess (after) 10 years here, I’m sort of used to it,” Brooks said.

Tim Sheens will walk away from his role as coach at the end of 2023 instead of 2024 as originally planned. Picture: Getty Images.

Sheens was installed as head coach until the end of 2024, after Maguire was axed in June last year, with the view Marshall would take the reins in 2025.

But with the joint venture heading for consecutive wooden spoons, Sheens opted to walk away from the role at the end of the season.

Sheens was scheduled to front journalists for Friday’s captain’s run but it’s expected Marshall will now take over those media duties until the end of the season.

One of Marshall’s most difficult jobs when he officially takes over will be to reinstall a winning culture, which has abandoned the club over recent years.

“I guess we haven’t won too many games in the last few years,” Brooks said.

“You sort of get used to losing when you’re in this position.

“Sometimes we’re in games where we are in front but because we haven’t won (a lot), you forget how to win so it does become a habit.

If they can change that and start winning more games, that will fix that.”

Both Brooks and forward Stefano Utoikamanu backed Marshall to succeed in taking over what has been described as ‘the most difficult job in rugby league’.

But Utoikamanu warned the blowtorch would be on the first-time head coach.

“There’s going to be so much pressure because it’s the Tigers,” Utoikamanu said.

We haven’t been too well in the last couple of years. I think anyone that is going to come into the head coach role is going to have a lot of pressure on him.

“But he has the support of all the players.”

Originally published as NRL 2023: Departing Wests Tigers star Luke Brooks’ revealing statement in wake of Sheens exit