The way forward for Tigers playmaker Luke Brooks has come below the microscope after it was revealed the merger membership are getting ready a play for veteran halfback Mitchell Pearce.
The merger membership reportedly made a transfer to signal the 33-year-old from his present membership in France, Catalans Dragons, previous to Christmas.
But after Mitchell Moses turned his again on their mammoth contract provide and a disappointing 0-4 begin to their marketing campaign, Tim Sheens is searching for options.
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As it stands, Luke Brooks is with out a contract for 2024 and is incomes a reported $1.1 million this season.
The 28-year-old is likely one of the NRL’s most closely criticised gamers, and with Pearce firming as an answer for the Tigers’ woes — his future on the membership might be unsure.
However, Fox League’s James Hooper has revealed that in Brooks’ negotiations concerning a possible transfer to the Knights final season, the membership made their playmaker a giant promise.
“There has been some talk around the game that when the negotiations were going on to try and move him to Newcastle that his management said well he can stay but we’d like an understanding he will also be here for 2024,” Hooper stated.
“So if that’s the case, it is only verbal, nothing has been finalised.”
The Daily Telegraph’s Michael Carayannis additionally defined that if Brooks is to signal a contract extension with the membership, his present wage might be slashed.
Is Wighton a $1M participant? | 02:27
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“Kenty says Luke Brooks is a million-dollar player, he won’t be a million-dollar player next year, that’s what his current contract is worth, but he’s not worth half that on the open market,” Carayannis stated.
“There’s no doubt if they signed Mitchell Moses, Luke Brooks wasn’t going anywhere, same agent, they are close mates so he was staying.
“So they do have Luke Brooks in their plans somehow, whether that is flipped or not since Moses decided to stay at the Eels, I’m not sure.”
In 2022, Brooks was at his finest alongside Jackson Hastings, who has since joined the Knights in an low season swap take care of prop David Klemmer.
Hastings was in a position to take the organising and kicking duties off Brooks, who targeted purely on working the ball and creating spark in damaged play.
NRL360 host Braith Anasta defined that Pearce, who has performed 332 NRL video games, might be the answer for the misfiring Tigers.
However, his signing remains to be a “band-aid” resolution in line with the previous NSW consultant.
“What numbers are we talking here… $750,000 per-year over two years, in my opinion and no disrespect to the halves they have now, he’d do a better job than both of them, but he is getting a bit on,” Anasta stated.
“He is a leader, he’s dominant and he is a traditional half, I think he would bring a lot of direction that they don’t have.
Kent and Carayannis go at it! | 01:37
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“If you can get him at the right price, I think he’s definitely way better than the two they have got there at the moment but I still think it’s a band-aid.”
NRL360 co-host Paul Kent additionally pointed to the Tigers’ touted five-year plan, with Benji Marshall succeeding Tim Sheens as head coach.
He believes signing a veteran halfback for less than two seasons is barely a brief time period resolution, that sadly “makes sense”.
“What it does is it delays this whole five-year plan that we have been hearing about, every Tigers fan got sold on the five-year plan with Sheens there for two years and Benji to take over after that,” Kent stated.
“And the best solution they came up with to fix their problems was to go to a halfback that hasn’t played in the competition for several years, who is about to turn 34-years-old.
“Chuck the two halves we have out, and one of them is on over a million dollars a year.
“But do you know what the problem with the Tigers is, it makes sense, that’s the problem, the solution to their problems is to go a pick a halfback in France that hasn’t played for a few years.
“They’ve also had offers to offload Luke Brooks and they have rejected them all.”
Source: www.foxsports.com.au