Luke Brooks was brilliant in his 200th game for the Wests Tigers, appreciated the Leichhardt faithful chanting his name just before full-time on Saturday night – but stopped short of declaring he wanted to remain at the club beyond this season.
Brooks could not have asked for a better milestone game as the Tigers thumped North Queensland 66-18. The Tigers had never scored as many points in their history, while it equalled the most amount of points conceded by the Cowboys.
One of the great moments unfolded just before full-time when the Brooks chant erupted in the main grandstand.
This was the same guy often ridiculed by Tigers supporters for being overpaid – he is on $1.1m this year – and too inconsistent.
The chant was not lost on Cowboys coach Todd Payten, who used to coach Brooks in the lower grades at the Tigers, while Tigers coach Tim Sheens said the locals were known to embrace their own, “but people on Twitter give him grief, and as far as I’m concerned, they can take their Twitter and shove it”.
Whether Brooks was in the Tigers’ plans has been debateable given their public pursuit of fellow playmakers Cameron Munster, Mitchell Moses, Mitchell Pearce and even Shaun Johnson.
Happy Tiger: Luke Brooks’ name was chanted inside Leichhardt Oval after his brilliant milestone performance.Credit: Getty
But Sheens declared a day before the Cowboys game he wanted Brooks and hoped to thrash out a deal in the next fortnight as the Tigers entered their second bye round.
“I’m keen to keep him happy and keep him here – if we can make that happen, that’s what I want,” Sheens said.
Brooks, however, was non-committal about what he would do.
When asked the simple question if he wanted to stay at the Tigers, Brooks said: “Honestly, I don’t know. Whatever happens, happens.
“If I stay here, it would be nice, if it doesn’t happen, so be it.
Wests Tigers halfback Luke Brooks makes a break on Saturday night.Credit: Getty
“It’s good to know you’re wanted. I’ve enjoyed staying out of it, and I’ll let my manager and the club sort it out.
“It always helps with the coach backing you.
“It doesn’t happen too often [the chance to be a one-club player], but anything can happen.”
Brooks is always at his best when he runs and is clearly a confidence player, something he has had plenty of in the past month.
The on-field chemistry with skipper Api Koroisau is also becoming more apparent, and was always going to take time after his off-season move from premiers Penrith.
Brooks said the last time he had seen a Tigers player receive a chant during a Leichhardt love-in was when Robbie Farah finished up at the club the first time around at the end of 2016.
He also liked Sheens’ response to people on social media targeting him, and said: “It’s a part of the game, and I’m not the only person who cops it. People would spray Cameron Smith, and he was the best player, so everyone cops it.”
Sheens said of Brooks after the club’s record rout: “He’s been playing well the last month. He wasn’t scoring seven tries a game – not many can do that – but people seem to think that’s what it’s got to be, seven tries a game or he can’t play.
“I know he’s earning a lot of money, that’s not his fault, it’s a back-ended contract in his last year.
“[But] he’s playing footy with a smile on his face, he’s enjoying it and that’s the difference. Being happy in a place, that’s the difference.”
The Tigers’ bumper win elevated them above Canterbury and St George Illawarra into 15th on the ladder. The Cowboys remain in Sydney for the week and must pick themselves up quickly ahead of Friday’s clash with Parramatta.
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